Ethereum co-founder 
Vitalik Buterin defended the Ethereum Foundation as "one node" of the ecosystem rather than its center, pushed back at critics calling on the organization to support ETH's price, and said the EF will sell less ETH as researchers depart. The Foundation holds less than 1% of all ETH in circulation, while other protocol foundations typically hold 10-50% of their native token's supply, Buterin said in remarks Cointelegraph carried.
What did Buterin say? Buterin wrote that "EF is not a 'center of Ethereum', rather EF is 'one node, with a defined purpose, alongside other nodes'" — adding that the Foundation is now taking action to ensure it stays in the latter role. The EF will continue to focus on censorship-resistance, open-source code, long-range research, cybersecurity and decentralization of the protocol, per its mandate published in March 2026.
What is the criticism? Critics have called on the Foundation to take a more active role in supporting token prices and marketing, after large ETH holders sold their entire positions and high-profile departures left the EF — with ETH trading around $2,094, more than 50% below its August 2025 all-time high near $5,000, Cointelegraph reported. Cryptocurrency journalist Laura Shin, quoted in the same Cointelegraph piece, said Ethereum's "original sin was not considering tokenomics with every move it made from Dencun on," referring to the March 2024 protocol upgrade that cut layer-2 fees and collapsed base-layer revenue.
What is the EF doing on its treasury? Buterin said on Sunday the Foundation would focus on "longevity" and stretch its funds to finance research, meaning it would sell less ETH in the future, The Block reported. In May, the Foundation unstaked 21,270 ETH from the Lido liquid staking platform as part of its treasury strategy.
Figures referenced: Vitalik Buterin. — JudgeMarket.
