The Ethereum Foundation (EF) executed a major staking operation on April 3, 2026, depositing approximately 45,034 ETH worth roughly $93 million, bringing its cumulative staked total to nearly 69,500 ETH—just 500 ETH short of its 70,000 ETH target. The deposits, at an average price of about $2,059 per ETH, were processed in multiple batches of 2,047 ETH each.
Key Metrics
- 45,034 ETH deposited on April 3 in batches of 2,047 ETH.
- Total staked: ~69,500 ETH, valued at ~$143 million.
- Expected annual staking yield: $3.9 million to $5.4 million (2.7%–3.8% APR).
- EF still holds over 100,000 ETH across tracked addresses, plus reserves in USDC, BNB, and Bitcoin.
Background of the Staking Initiative
The Ethereum Foundation announced the Treasury Staking Initiative on February 24, 2026, following a treasury policy update adopted in June 2025. The program aims to stake approximately 70,000 ETH to generate yield instead of selling assets to cover annual operating expenses estimated at $100 million. The shift came after sustained community criticism over the foundation’s periodic ETH sales, which could weigh on market prices.
The initiative began with an initial deposit of 2,016 ETH around February 24–25. A second major round on March 30–31 added 22,517 ETH across 11 transactions, bringing the cumulative total to about 24,623 ETH at that point (worth ~$50 million). The latest round on April 3 accelerated progress toward the target, leaving only 500 ETH to be staked for completion.
Technical Implementation
The foundation runs its validators using open-source tools Dirk and Vouch. Dirk distributes signing across multiple geographic regions, while Vouch supports diverse Beacon and Execution client pairings to reduce client concentration risk. The setup uses minority clients and a mix of hosted and self-managed hardware across jurisdictions.
Validators employ Type 2 withdrawal credentials, allowing for transferable balances and reducing the number of signing keys required. With a maximum effective balance of 2,048 ETH per validator, the foundation needs roughly 35 signing keys to manage its entire staked position.
Financial Impact and Community Sentiment
All staking rewards flow directly back into the EF treasury to fund protocol research, ecosystem grants, and daily operations. Based on institutional staking yields of 2.7% to 3.8%, the foundation expects annual returns of $3.9 million to $5.4 million, with potential upside from Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) rewards.
The move has been broadly interpreted by the Ethereum community as a sign of institutional confidence in the proof-of-stake network. By transitioning from periodic ETH sales to native staking yield, the foundation reduces its market impact and enhances financial sustainability. Onchain records show the foundation held approximately 102,400 ETH across 14 tracked addresses before the April 3 deposits, plus other crypto assets providing additional flexibility.
With only 500 ETH left to stake, the Ethereum Foundation is expected to reach its full 70,000 ETH target shortly, marking a milestone in its treasury management strategy.