Buterin says Ethereum Foundation will shrink, sell less ETH, and focus on 'CROPS'
Key takeaways
- He framed the EF as "one node, with a defined purpose," not the center of Ethereum.Buterin argued that maximizing throughput/speed is a mistake that leads to mediocrity.
- In a lengthy post on X, Buterin detailed that the Ethereum Foundation holds roughly 0.16% of all ETH, well below the 10% to 50% he said it’s common for the central foundations of other blockchains to hold.
- Nearly 90% of his own net worth sits in ETH, with the remaining roughly $40 million in onchain fiat already earmarked for open-source biotech, software and hardware initiatives, Buterin added.
He framed the EF as "one node, with a defined purpose," not the center of Ethereum.By Francisco Rodrigues|Edited by Aoyon Ashraf May 25, 2026, 3:51 p.m. 3 min read Make preferred on What to know: Buterin states that the Ethereum Foundation will pursue "longevity over breadth," reduce ETH sales and narrowly focus on CROPS (censorship resistance, openness, privacy and security).Buterin's influence in the EF will decrease as the board expands. He framed the EF as "one node, with a defined purpose," not the center of Ethereum.Buterin argued that maximizing throughput/speed is a mistake that leads to mediocrity. Instead, Ethereum must strive to be "deeply impressive" in the CROPS dimension.Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said the Ethereum Foundation will choose "longevity over breadth," reduce ETH sales and narrow its focus to CROPS: censorship resistance, capture resistance, openness, privacy and security.
In a lengthy post on X, Buterin detailed that the Ethereum Foundation holds roughly 0.16% of all ETH, well below the 10% to 50% he said it’s common for the central foundations of other blockchains to hold.
Nearly 90% of his own net worth sits in ETH, with the remaining roughly $40 million in onchain fiat already earmarked for open-source biotech, software and hardware initiatives, Buterin added.