Summer of Bitcoin (SoB), a global, remote program designed to train university students as contributors to Bitcoin open-source projects, has opened applications for its 2026 cohort.
The program provides mentorship, real-world development experience, and a stipend paid in Bitcoin.
Applications will remain open until February 15, 2026.
Summer of Bitcoin offers students a structured environment to contribute directly to Bitcoin and related open-source projects.
Participants work with experienced mentors and project maintainers, develop technical and collaboration skills, and create verifiable proof of work in public repositories.
Selected students receive a stipend of approximately $6,600, paid in BTC, with the exact amount depending on their location, the program shared with Bitcoin Magazine.
“Bitcoin’s long-term resilience depends on the health of its open-source contributor pipeline,” said Adi Shankara, Program Lead at Summer of Bitcoin. “Summer of Bitcoin 2026 is designed to accelerate real open-source adoption by turning high-potential students into capable, durable contributors.”
The 2026 program emphasizes the ability to validate, reason, and ship software, reflecting changes in AI-assisted software development.
Shankara said candidates will be assessed on programming skills, security thinking, and understanding of Bitcoin’s technical foundations, along with responsible use of AI tools.
Bitcoin Developer or Designer Track
Applicants can choose between two tracks. The Developer Track is for students who want to contribute code to Bitcoin projects, including protocol-adjacent tooling and infrastructure.
The Designer Track is for students focused on improving usability, product experience, and interface design for Bitcoin applications. Candidate selection prioritizes verifiable proof of work, such as meaningful open-source contributions, technical workshops, or shipped tools with users.
Summer of Bitcoin alumni have pursued roles across the Bitcoin industry and open-source ecosystem.
About 35% of graduates now work in the industry, either at Bitcoin companies or as open-source contributors funded through grants, totaling roughly 69 alumni.
Many alumni return as mentors, guiding new students on projects including Alby, bcoin, Galoy, libsecp256k1, Bitcoin Core, Zeus, Bitcoin Design, Fedimint, and Floresta.
Alumni also engage in education and advocacy, supporting student and developer networks such as Vinteum in Brazil and Bitshala in India.
The program provides students a credible entry point into Bitcoin, producing graduates who carry technical knowledge and experience into their careers while often promoting Bitcoin within their universities and communities.
U.S. equities extended their selloff Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, as technology shares led broad declines across major benchmarks amid renewed risk-off sentiment. Nasdaq Leads Market Declines as Risk-off Sentiment Returns U.S. stock markets opened sharply lower, continuing a multi-session pullback that has weighed heavily on growth-oriented sectors. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was among the hardest […]
XRP Price Prediction: Can a Mature Asset Still Deliver Life-Changing Returns? XRP remains one of the most closely watched cryptocurrencies as 2026 approaches. With regulatory pressure easing and institutional use cases expanding, many investors are revisiting the XRP price prediction and asking a familiar question: how much upside is realistically left?
XRP is no longer a speculative experiment. It is a large, established network tied to cross-border payments, banking infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks. That maturity brings stability, but it also changes the math. And that math is exactly where investor attention begins to shift.
So where does that leave XRP in the next cycle, and why are some investors now looking earlier for opportunity?
This has reshaped how analysts approach XRP price prediction. Instead of hype cycles, forecasts now focus on adoption metrics, transaction volumes, and market share within the global payments industry. These are solid drivers, but they also imply gradual growth, not explosive multiples. And that distinction matters.
The Realistic Path to $5, And What It Actually Means
Many long-term XRP forecasts point to a possible move toward the $5 range under optimistic conditions between 2026 and 2030. But it’s important to pause and look at what that implies.
At $5, XRP’s market capitalization would move into territory comparable to some of the world’s largest financial institutions and payment networks. We’re talking valuations similar to major banks, global remittance firms, or even entire fintech sectors combined.
Could that happen? Possibly, over time, with massive adoption. Could it deliver 100× returns from here? Realistically, no.
For XRP to achieve a 100× move, it would need to surpass the valuation of entire global payment industries, something no analyst seriously models. That doesn’t make XRP a bad investment. It simply defines it as a mature asset, not an early-stage one. And this is where investor psychology starts to change.
When Bitcoin and XRP Stabilize, Where Does Capital Look Next?
Crypto cycles follow a familiar pattern. Bitcoin moves first. Large caps like XRP follow with measured gains. Then capital begins searching for assets that are still early, underpriced, and structurally capable of outsized returns. History supports this clearly.
When Bitcoin delivered 2× or 3× gains in previous cycles, early meme coins like Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, and Pepecoindelivered 50×, 100×, or more, not because they were safer, but because they were early.
That raises an important question: if XRP’s upside is structurally capped, where does asymmetric upside now live?
This Is Where Pepeto Enters the Conversation
Pepeto is not positioned as a replacement for XRP. It sits in a completely different phase of the cycle. While XRP represents infrastructure already priced into the market, Pepeto exists at the stage where price discovery hasn’t begun yet. It combines meme-coin culture with something earlier winners didn’t have: real infrastructure from day one.
Pepeto launches with a zero-fee PepetoSwap, a cross-chain bridge, and a Pepeto Exchange built to host only verified meme-utility tokens. Every trade, swap, and liquidity action routes through the PEPETO token, creating built-in demand instead of relying purely on hype.
This is why some investors see Pepeto as the kind of project that historically absorbs capital before the wider market catches on.
Why the 100× Question Looks Different for Pepeto
Here’s the real contrast investors need to understand. For XRP to deliver a 100× return from here, it would need to grow into a valuation larger than entire global banking and payment networks combined. That kind of outcome isn’t just optimistic, it would require structural changes across whole industries and many years of execution.
Pepeto operates under completely different math. For Pepeto to reach 100×, it doesn’t need to replace banks or reshape global finance. It only needs to repeat what already happened in the meme sector when attention, liquidity, and timing aligned. PEPE delivered more than 100× returns with no real utility, no ecosystem, and no demand engine behind it.
Pepeto was designed as the upgraded version of that same formula. It keeps the cultural DNA and instant recognition that powered PEPE’s rise, but adds what was missing from the start: Technology and Optimization. Real tools, real usage, and a system where every swap, trade, and listing routes demand back into the token.
When investors look at it this way, the question shifts naturally. It’s no longer “is 100× possible?” but “why would an upgraded version of a proven 100× meme cycle struggle to do what its predecessor already achieved without utility?”
The Takeaway for 2026 Investors
XRP remains a credible long-term asset, anchored by regulation, institutional adoption, and real-world usage. Its path forward is built on steady expansion, not sudden, life-changing multiples. That makes XRP a solid hold, but no longer the place where exponential gains are born.
Pepeto sits at the opposite end of that curve. It represents the phase XRP passed through years ago, early, overlooked, and still open to meaningful price discovery. The difference is that Pepeto enters this phase with lessons already learned, pairing meme culture with real infrastructure designed to capture demand as attention shifts.
Every crypto cycle rewards those who move before certainty feels comfortable. By the time outcomes are obvious, the upside is usually gone. For investors studying XRP price predictions today, the more important question may not be how far XRP can go, but which early-stage project is positioned to deliver the kind of returns XRP no longer can.
That question is exactly why Pepeto is starting to appear on more radars, quietly, early, and at a moment when opportunity still exists. Get Pepeto now before official launch.
Make Sure To Use The Official Website: https://pepeto.io/
Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) signaled that she would be open to meet with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s office to explore potential clarity on Bitcoin taxation, including a de minimis exemption for small transactions and guidance on calculating capital gains.
Lummis was one of the lawmakers who pressed Bessent today on digital assets and clear U.S. regulation.
Bessent was speaking to the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee about the Financial Stability Oversight Council’s annual report — essentially a high‑profile Senate hearing on U.S. financial stability where he is being questioned on economic policy and oversight issues.
The hearings have been semi-heated at times, with Senator Mark Warner chiming in, saying that “I feel like I’m in crypto hell.”
Senator Lummis’ crypto-focused questioning
Lummis began her time in the session by asking whether China is leveraging digital assets and blockchain to challenge American financial leadership.
Bessent said it is unclear, noting that while there are rumors of Chinese digital assets potentially backed by gold or other mechanisms, the U.S. Treasury has not observed such instruments.
He acknowledged China’s active exploration of digital asset frameworks, particularly through Hong Kong’s financial sandbox and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
The conversation quickly turned to U.S. regulation. Lummis emphasized the need for clear rules of the road, particularly legislation governing stablecoins and market structure.
“It’s impossible to proceed without it,” Bessent said.
He expressed support for the proposed Clarity Act, which seeks to provide regulatory clarity for digital assets, urging industry participants who oppose regulation to consider relocating to countries with looser oversight.
“We have to get this Clarity Act across the finish line,” Bessent said. “Any market participants who don’t support it should move to El Salvador.”
Both officials highlighted the benefits of embedding the digital asset industry within the U.S. economy.
Bessent stressed that the goal is a balance between fostering innovation and maintaining “safe, sound, and smart practices” under U.S. government oversight. He noted ongoing efforts to engage community and small banks in the digital asset ecosystem, acknowledging concerns that new legislation could trigger deposit outflows.
“Deposit volatility is very undesirable because it is the stability of those deposits that allows them to lend into their communities,” Bessent said.
Will there be a Bitcoin tax exemption?
Lummis also raised questions about digital asset taxation, particularly the treatment of small transactions — known as de minimis — and the calculation of capital gains for users with mixed portfolios of Bitcoin purchased at different prices over time.
Bessent acknowledged the complexity of the issue and offered to have the Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy work with Lummis’ team to provide guidance. Nothing definitive was said on a bitcoin tax exemption, but the idea was floated between the two lawmakers.
Yesterday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers that the U.S. government has no authority to bail out bitcoin or direct banks to hold crypto.
During testimony before the House Financial Services Committee, Bessent emphasized that taxpayer funds cannot be deployed into BTC and that the government’s only exposure comes from law enforcement seizures.
He noted that retained bitcoin has appreciated significantly, citing $500 million in seized BTC growing to over $15 billion, but stressed this does not involve active investment.
Bessent also confirmed that the U.S. will stop selling seized bitcoin, adding it to the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve in line with Executive Order 14233.
A Nevada state court denied regulators’ request for an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO) to immediately halt Coinbase’s new prediction market offering.
Instead, the court set a hearing for next week so the exchange can respond, according to Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) filed a civil enforcement action in Carson City on Monday, accusing Coinbase of offering unlicensed wagers on sports event contracts and asking for a TRO and preliminary injunction to block the products for Nevada residents.
Coinbase fights case in state and federal court
In a Tuesday filing, Coinbase argued that Nevada’s requested order was broader than sports betting and would effectively bar it from offering any Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regulated “event contracts” in the state, including those tied to financial or commodity outcomes.
Coinbase preliminary opposition. Source: Paul Grewal
The company also told the court there was no genuine claim of irreparable harm because Kalshi, the CFTC‑registered market whose contracts Coinbase lists, can continue to offer the same products directly to Nevada users while litigation proceeds.
Grewal said that Coinbase has now gone to federal court in Nevada as well, seeking to block the state’s enforcement effort as a violation of federal law.
“Congress gave CFTC exclusive jurisdiction over these listed contracts,” he said, “and it’s Congress that calls the shots.”
In its brief, Coinbase contends that the Commodity Exchange Act grants the CFTC “exclusive jurisdiction” over swaps and event contracts traded on regulated exchanges, and that Nevada’s attempt to recharacterize those instruments as state regulated gambling is preempted by Congress’s derivatives framework.
The clash comes just days after a Nevada judge granted a 14‑day TRO forcing Polymarket to suspend certain event markets in the state.
Nevada isn’t the only US state pushing back against prediction markets. In January, Tennessee’s Sports Wagering Council ordered a group of platforms, including Kalshi and Polymarket, to halt sport event contracts for its residents.
In December, Coinbase followed Kalshi’s lead and sued regulators in Connecticut, Illinois and Michigan, arguing that prediction markets listed on a CFTC-regulated venue fall under federal jurisdiction.
Big Questions: Did a time-traveling AI invent Bitcoin?
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
XRP dropped 15% on the day, leading the top 100 cryptocurrencies in daily losses.
Evernorth faces a $446 million unrealized loss on its XRP investment from October.
The Crypto Fear & Greed Index hit 11, signaling “Extreme Fear” as prices broadly crater.
XRP was the worst-performing altcoin among the leading cryptocurrencies Thursday morning, showing a 15% drop over the last 24 hours as markets swing bearish and Bitcoin extends its losses.
At the time of writing, XRP was trading for $1.30 after having dropped roughly 28% in the past week, according to crypto price aggregator CoinGecko.
An earlier dip to $1.28 marked the lowest price for the Ripple-linked asset since November 2024, when XRP surged in the wake of President Trump’s election win. It’s also the biggest daily drop of any coin in the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap over the last day.
Ethereum was recently trading at $1,985 after plunging 6% on the day and losing about 30% of its value in the last week, while original meme coin Dogecoin is down about 8% on the day to $0.09, shedding nearly 19% of its value over the past seven days.
BNB was recently changing hands for $666 after having dropped 9% in the past day, losing 23% in the past seven days. Solana had dipped to $85, after falling about 8% in the past day, and was 27% lower than it was this time last week.
Bitcoin dove below the $67,000 mark Thursday morning, but was recently trading just above $68,000.
The drawdown has resulted in the liquidiation of more than $47 million worth of XRP derivatives contracts. And the bulk of them, nearly $44 million worth, were long on XRP, according to on-chain analytics platform CoinGlass. Overall, more than $1.43 billion worth of crypto positions have been liquidated in the last day.
The platform also shows that XRP trading volume has jumped by 57%, with over $11 billion worth of coins changing hands in the past 24 hours.
The global crypto market capitalization has now fallen 7.4% on the day to $2.37 trillion after having peaked above $4.2 trillion in September 2025.
Meanwhile, XRP treasury firm Evernorth now has a $446 million unrealized loss on its 388,710,631 XRP stash. The company debuted as an XRP treasury in October, saying that its goal was to raise more than $1 billion to buy XRP. It also has backing from Ripple, whose executives are acting as strategic advisors to the firm.
In late October, the company spent $947 million buying XRP. It hasn’t made another buy since then, but it has watched the value of its XRP holdings drop sharply to approximately $501 million.
The company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from Decrypt.
XRP ETF inflows slowed down, but didn’t turn red yesterday. The seven spot XRP ETFs that are trading in the U.S. saw $5.9 million in volume and net inflows of $6.9 million on Wednesday, according to an ETF tracker maintained by XRP Insights.
Ripple Labs CEO Brad Garlinghouse has been outspoken about the “absolute firestorm of action to get the Market Structure bill passed,” but hasn’t commented on markets going bearish.
Crypto traders are broadly feeling skittish about current market conditions. The Crypto Fear & Greed Index maintained by CoinGlass has dropped to 11, firmly in the “Extreme Fear” category. During the month of January, it very briefly ticked into the greed category when the index peaked at 62, but has been steadily declining since then.
Daily Debrief Newsletter
Start every day with the top news stories right now, plus original features, a podcast, videos and more.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin sold about 2,961 Ether worth $6.6 million over a three-day period, after previously announcing plans to withdraw some of his holdings.
Blockchain tracker Lookonchain said in a Thursday X post that the transactions were executed at an average price of about $2,228 per Ether (ETH). Ethereum’s native cryptocurrency traded at around $2,130 at the time of writing, down by more than 5% over the past day, according to CoinMarketCap.
Arkham Intelligence data shows that the ETH sales were routed through CoW Protocol, with multiple small swaps rather than a single block trade. Such transactions are commonly used to reduce market impact.
Related: XRP traders more optimistic as BTC, ETH mood turns sour: Santiment
Buterin earmarks $45 million in ETH for privacy and open infrastructure push
Last week, Buterin said he has set aside 16,384 Ether, worth about $45 million, from his personal holdings to support privacy-preserving technologies, open hardware and secure, verifiable software. He added that the funds would be deployed gradually over the coming years as the Ethereum Foundation enters a period of what he described as “mild austerity,” while continuing to pursue its technical roadmap.
Buterin’s post from last week. Source: Vitalik Buterin
Buterin said he is personally taking on responsibilities that might otherwise fall under special foundation projects, with a focus on building an open, secure and verifiable technology stack spanning software and hardware.
“Specifically, we are seeking the existence of an open-source, secure and verifiable full stack of software and hardware that can protect both our personal lives and our public environments.”
The Ethereum Foundation has previously faced criticism for selling ETH to fund operations, but has since explored alternative strategies, including staking and decentralized finance-based approaches.
The sales come during a period of heightened sensitivity toward large holders. Falling ETH prices have prompted leveraged Ether whales to unload assets to repay loans, adding to the sell pressure.
In an X post on Tuesday, Bitwise chief investment officer Matt Hougan said that the crypto market has been in a “full-blown crypto winter” since January 2025. “Chances are, we’re closer to the end than the beginning,” Hougan said.
Magazine: Bitget’s Gracy Chen is looking for ‘entrepreneurs, not wantrepreneurs’
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy https://cointelegraph.com/editorial-policy
Elon Musk’s combination of his rocket company SpaceX with his AI startup xAI for $1.25 trillion could provide the AI startup the necessary cash and backing it needs to stay competitive and relevant in the AI market, as it prepares to go public alongside competitors OpenAI and Anthropic.
In a blog post on Feb. 2, Musk wrote that SpaceX acquired xAI to form a “vertically integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI rockets.” That innovation engine includes social media platform X, which was already part of xAI. Musk said his goal is to build orbital data centers, arguing that space-based AI is the “only” way to scale. An orbital data center is a space-based computing facility in low Earth orbit that stores and processes data directly in space.
The decision to combine xAI with SpaceX follows a month-long controversy with xAI’s AI chatbot, Grok, being prompted by users to undress images of women and place them in illicit positions. The controversy, which started in January, is one of many xAI has faced in recent years, despite Musk’s attempts to make the AI startup a legitimate rival to OpenAI and Anthropic.
Related:Snowflake Deal Latest Move into Enterprise Market by OpenAI
Musk founded the AI startup in 2023, five years after officially resigning from the OpenAI board as a founding member. Musk has also sued OpenAI for allegedly abandoning its original nonprofit social mission, among other things. Since then, xAI has released multiple large language and other models, including the Grok series of general-purpose models and Aurora, a text-to-image model.
A Financial Backer
Despite xAI’s model releases, the controversies have diminished enterprises’ expectations regarding privacy and compliance. And although about 60 million people reportedly have used Grok, that’s a fraction of the couple of billions who use OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini chatbots.
Therefore, one motivation for this merger is purely financial, said Nick Patience, an analyst at Futurum. With xAI burning through a billion dollars in cash a month, it needs more financial backing to stay in the AI race.
“XAI needs this SpaceX cash generation ability because SpaceX is profitable,” Patience said. “This is a cash flow story in that …. it sustains the life of xAI.”
He added that Musk’s goal of building orbital data centers to help power AI technology is a grand but speculative endeavor.
“There is a rationale if it could be done because it could solve the terrestrial constraints we have around cooling and land use,” Patience said. “But there are significant unknowns.” He added that the challenges include orbital debris, hardware maintenance, and regulatory considerations.
Related:Google Launches Low-Cost AI Plus Subscription in the U.S.
Those considerations make orbital data centers a long-term bet and not a short-term expectation.
“It presents a different story, a vertical integration story that no other company in the world has,” Patience said.
He added that none of the hyperscalers, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, can claim to — all at the same time — launch rockets, run an AI research lab, provide Starlink satellite services, and operate a social media platform. SpaceX rival Blue Origin is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and maintains numerous business arrangements with Amazon.
This “vertical integration” strategy could be helpful as Musk prepares to take the company public this summer, with a target valuation of $1.5 trillion, as the estimated valuation surpasses $1 trillion, making it the world’s most valuable private company.
Different Motivations
However, estimated valuations can be faulty, said Johna Till Johnson, CEO of analyst firm Nemertes.
“The value of a private company is … whatever the people investing in it say it is,” she said, adding that it can often fail to meet expectations when the company goes public.
Moreover, although AI technology could be helpful in space in the future, Musk’s motivation could be a way to avoid criticism that he is managing too many companies as he prepares for an IPO, Johnson said.
Related:Microsoft Aims for Better Inference Efficiency With Maia 200
Furthermore, the merger could mean that xAI could either be a general-purpose AI lab that Musk uses to keep SpaceX’s satellite networks running or an AI company focused solely on space, which would be a pivot from its current role, she added.
“Unless he … is planning to take this thing and refocus it entirely from what it’s currently doing to something else … quite frankly, he’s going to maintain it as its general purpose, and therefore the only real value is that it’s one company that he’s boss of,” she said.
Bitcoin risks a deeper slide as miners and US spot ETFs cut BTC exposure, adding supply pressure during a fragile downtrend.
Bitcoin (BTC) price dropped by more than 22.5% in the past week to $69,000 on Thursday, wiping out 15 months of gains entirely. However, the downtrend may not be over, according to veteran trader Peter Brandt.
Key takeaways:
Brandt says “campaign selling” is pressuring BTC, with miners and ETFs also cutting exposure.
A potential bottom zone is near $54,600–$55,000.
BTC/USD daily chart. Source: TradingView
Bitcoin may drop another 10% as miners, ETFs cut BTC exposure
BTC’s decline left behind a sequence of dailylower highs and lower lows. Simply put, the lack of even modest rebounds suggests few traders are stepping in to buy the dip, at least for now.
This structure, according to Brandt, had “fingerprints of campaign selling,” a deliberate, sustained distribution by large institutions, not retail liquidation.
Source: X/ @PeterLBrandt
Onchain data supports Brandt’s outlook. For instance, as of Thursday, the BTC miner net position change metric was showing a clear shift into net distribution throughout January, with miners consistently sending more BTC to the market.
BTC miner net position change. Source: Glassnode
US spot Bitcoin ETFs also reduced their exposure, with net BTC balances falling to 1.27 million BTC as of Wednesday from 1.29 million at the beginning of the year.
Related: Bhutan makes second Bitcoin transfer in a week, worth $22M
The Coinbase premium, a barometer linked to institutional interest, also fell to yearly lows.
BTC US spot ETF balances. Source: Glassnode
This distribution boosted Bitcoin’s chances of reaching its bear flag target of around $63,800, down 10% from current levels, as shown below, based on Brandt’s technical setup.
BTC/USD daily chart. Source: Peter Brandt
Bitcoin may bottom below $55,000
Bitcoin risks a deeper drop toward $54,600 amid continued institutional selling, according to onchain analyst GugaOnChain.
The downside target is aligned with the lower zone (red) highlighted in the BTC DCA Signal Cycle metric below. This zone reflects Bitcoin’s one-week to one-month realized price and helps identify periods when BTC is structurally undervalued.
In 2022, the signal turned bullish as BTC fell below the same red zone near $20,000, forming a bottom around the level, before rallying to over $30,000 a year later.
GugaOnChain said:
“The current price convergence toward the band signaling the start of the accumulation phase, situated around $54.6K, suggests we are in the critical transition between Capitulation and Accumulation.”
Meanwhile, another analysis highlights a potential accumulation window emerging after July 2026, based on historical lag effects between widening credit spreads and Bitcoin market bottoms.
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision. While we strive to provide accurate and timely information, Cointelegraph does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information in this article. This article may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Cointelegraph will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance on this information.
Buterin hinted last week he will sell tokens to fund new projects.
Ethereum has crashed nearly 60% from its all-time high set in August.
Vitalik Buterin has sold nearly $7 million worth of tokens from his personal wallet over the past three days.
And he’s not done selling yet, according to data from blockchain analytics platform Arkham, which shows he continues to swap five-figure sums worth of Ethereum for stablecoins.
The stream of selling comes a week after Buterin said that the Ethereum Foundation is “entering a period of mild austerity” over the next five years to achieve its goals.
“For this reason, I have just withdrawn 16,384 ETH, which will be deployed toward these goals over the next few years,” the 32-year-old co-founder of Ethereum said on January 30.
Of that sum, he has sold over 3,000 since his message.
Those goals include cementing the $252 billion blockchain’s status as a “scalable world computer” and ensuring long-term stability.
The Ethereum Foundation did not immediately respond to questions regarding how that money would be spent to achieve this goal.
Ethereum has crashed 30% over the past week and is trading at just over $2,000 at the time of reporting.
It is now down 58% from its all-time high of $4,950 set in August, amid a cryptocurrency industry downturn that has wiped out $2 trillion in value.
“To this end, my own share of the austerity is that I am personally taking on responsibilities that might in another time have been ‘special projects’ of the Ethereum Foundation,” he said.
Buterin’s pet projects list includes open-source software and hardware, such as financial applications, operating systems, secure hardware, and biotech.
“I am also exploring secure decentralized staking options that will allow even more capital from staking rewards to be put toward these goals in the long term,” he said.
New vision
On Tuesday, Buterin also cast doubt on Ethereum’s relationship with layer 2 networks such as Arbitrum and Base.
Billions of dollars in value are locked up in these layer 2 networks, DefiLlama data shows.
“Ethereum itself is now scaling directly on layer 1, with large planned increases to its gas limit this year and the years ahead,” Buterin said.
Lance Datskoluo is DL News’ Europe-based markets correspondent. Got a tip? Email him at lance@dlnews.com.