Ethereum Foundation Offloads 5,000 ETH to BitMine (BMNR) in $10.2M Deal

Ethereum

Ethereum Foundation Offloads 5,000 ETH to BitMine (BMNR) in $10.2M Deal

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TLDR

• BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) acquired 5,000 ETH from the Ethereum Foundation through an over-the-counter transaction valued at approximately $10.2 million, with ETH priced at $2,042.96.
• This marks the Foundations second direct corporate ETH sale, after completing a $25.7M transaction with SharpLink Gaming in July 2025.
• BitMine, led by Chairman Tom Lee from Fundstrat, has become the worlds largest publicly listed Ether treasury company with holdings exceeding 4.5 million ETH valued at approximately $9.3 billion.
• Funds generated from the transaction will support the Foundations essential operations, including protocol research and development, ecosystem expansion, and grant programs for the community.
• The transaction follows the EFs treasury management strategy, which allocates roughly 15% of treasury assets annually for operating expenses while maintaining reserves for multiple years.

BitMine Immersion Technologies (BMNR) has acquired 5,000 ETH directly from the Ethereum Foundation through an over-the-counter deal valued at approximately $10.2 million. The transaction executed at an average rate of $2,042.96 for each ETH token.

TOM LEES BITMINE JUST BOUGHT ETH DIRECTLY FROM THE ETHEREUM FOUNDATION

The Ethereum Foundation confirmed it sold 5,000 ETH to BitMine in an OTC transaction worth roughly $10.2 M.

The deal was priced at $2,042.96 per ETH. pic.twitter.com/yjKvW640PC

— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) March 14, 2026

The Foundation disclosed the transaction on Saturday through an announcement posted on X. The on-chain movement will be executed from an Ethereum Foundation Safe multisig wallet.

Trading on the NYSE American exchange under ticker BMNR, BitMine operates under the leadership of Chairman Tom Lee, Fundstrats co-founder, who has publicly advocated for Ethereum as a strategic corporate treasury holding.

Bitmine Immersion Technologies, Inc., BMNR

With a current treasury exceeding 4.5 million ETH valued at approximately $9.3 billion, BitMine stands as the worlds largest publicly listed company holding Ether in its reserves.

BitMines investment strategy heavily emphasizes ETH. Beyond its primary Ether holdings, the firm maintains approximately 195 BTC, cash reserves surpassing $1 billion, and equity investments across multiple ventures.

These investments encompass ownership in Beast Industries — the entity associated with popular YouTube content creator MrBeast — secured through a $200 million capital injection. Additionally, BitMine maintains a 7% ownership position in Eightco, a treasury firm focused on Worldcoin.

Since the middle of 2025, the company has been consistently expanding its ETH position, employing a strategy reminiscent of Strategys approach to Bitcoin accumulation.

EFs Second Corporate OTC Deal

This transaction represents the Ethereum Foundations second instance of selling ETH directly to a corporate entity for treasury purposes. Previously, in July 2025, the Foundation transferred 10,000 ETH to SharpLink Gaming at $2,572.37 per token, generating approximately $25.7 million.

These transactions align with the EFs treasury governance model established in June 2025. This framework mandates periodic conversions of ETH holdings into traditional currency to sustain operational liquidity.

The Foundation maintains a spending target of approximately 15% of total treasury value annually. Additionally, it preserves a 2.5-year operational reserve, which determines the timing and volume of ETH liquidations.

Revenue from the BMNR transaction will finance protocol research activities, network ecosystem development projects, and grant distributions to community initiatives.

EF Staking and New Mandate

This sale follows the Foundation‘s recent announcement regarding plans to stake as many as 70,000 ETH utilizing open-source validator systems. This initiative aims to generate network rewards while strengthening the Foundation’s active involvement in Ethereum operations.

Earlier in the week, the EF released an updated mandate document clarifying its responsibilities in guiding the Ethereum ecosystem. The framework prioritizes decentralization, resistance to censorship, open-source collaboration, and user autonomy.

According to the Foundation, focus areas include fundamental protocol enhancements, forward-looking research initiatives, network security measures, and developer infrastructure. The document also indicates intentions to progressively diminish its centralized influence across the ecosystem.

According to industry treasury monitoring platforms, BitMines current Ether holdings surpass 4.5 million ETH.

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