The Ethereum Foundation has completed an over-the-counter (OTC) sale of 5,000 Ether to BitMine Immersion Technologies. This is a trade worth approximately $10.2 million, based on the agreed price of $2,042.96 per ETH.
In a post on Saturday’s X, the foundation said proceeds from the sale will support its core business, including protocol research and development, ecosystem growth efforts, and a community grants program. On-chain transfers are initiated from the Ethereum Foundation Safe multi-signature wallet.
BitMine, a company listed on the NYSE American under the ticker BMNR, has emerged as one of the largest corporate holders of Ether (ETH). The company, which is chaired by Fundstrat co-founder Tom Lee, holds more than 4.5 million ETH worth about $9.3 billion, according to industry financial trackers.
The company has been steadily accumulating Ether since mid-2025, following a strategy similar to Strategy’s Bitcoin (BTC) accumulation model.
Related: Ether accumulation data predicts rise to $2.8 million, but there are pitfalls
EF conducts second corporate ETH OTC sale
This transaction marks the second time that the Ethereum Foundation has sold ETH directly to corporate financial buyers through OTC transactions. In July 2025, the organization sold 10,000 ETH to SharpLink Gaming at an average price of $2,572.37, representing a transaction value of approximately $25.7 million.
These recurring sales are part of the Ethereum Foundation’s financial management framework, introduced in June 2025. Under its policy, the organization periodically converts a portion of its ETH holdings to maintain fiat-based operating reserves. The framework targets annual spending equal to approximately 15% of national debt holdings, while maintaining a multi-year operating runway.
The announcement comes shortly after the foundation began staking a portion of its treasury, with plans to deploy approximately 70,000 ETH to validators using open source infrastructure.
Related: Ethereum Accumulation Wallet Rise 30%: Will ETH Price Follow?
EF announces powers outlining its role
This week, the Ethereum Foundation announced new mandates that emphasize decentralization and user sovereignty over assets and data and outline its role in stewarding the Ethereum ecosystem. The document states that Ethereum must remain censorship-resistant, open source, and privacy-protected while expanding to support global adoption.
The foundation said it will focus on core protocol upgrades, long-term research, cybersecurity, and developer tools while gradually reducing the direct impact on networks.
Magazine: Bitcoin could take 7 years to upgrade to post-quantum — BIP-360 co-author
