The Ethereum Foundation has finalized the sale of 10,000 ether to BitMine, a company led by Tom Lee, in an over-the-counter transaction. The sale was made at an average price of $2,292.15 per token, resulting in proceeds of roughly $22.9 million. This transaction follows a previous sale in March, where the foundation sold 5,000 ETH to BitMine at approximately $2,042 per token, raising around $10.2 million. The funds generated from these sales will be used to support the foundation's core operations, including research and development, ecosystem growth, and community grants.
The Ethereum Foundation's treasury management strategy involves periodically converting ETH holdings into fiat currency to maintain its operating budget and minimize market impact. These transactions are typically executed over-the-counter to avoid disrupting spot markets.
BitMine's repeated participation in these sales highlights its growing role as a major institutional holder of ETH. The transaction is expected to be transferred from an Ethereum Foundation-controlled multisig wallet, aligning with the foundation's recent efforts to increase transparency around its treasury activities.