Ethereum Foundation Nears 70,000 ETH Staking Goal After Latest Deposits

TLDR

• Ethereum Foundation staked 45,034 ETH worth about $93 million in its latest deposits.
• Total staked ETH now exceeds 69,500, putting the 70,000 ETH target within reach.
• The foundation began staking part of its treasury in late February 2026.
• Staking rewards are set to support research, grants, and ecosystem development.
• The foundation still holds more than 100,000 ETH outside the staking program.

The Ethereum Foundation is close to completing its 70,000 ETH staking target after a new round of deposits pushed its total staked amount above 69,500 ETH, based on on-chain data cited in recent market reports. The latest move involved 45,034 ETH, worth about $93 million at the time of transfer, sent to the Beacon Chain deposit contract in several equal-sized batches.

The new deposits followed another allocation earlier in the week, when the foundation staked more than 22,500 ETH, valued at about $46 million. Those transactions came after the group began staking part of its treasury in late February, starting with a smaller 2,016 ETH deposit. Since then, the staking program has expanded steadily and now appears to be only a short distance from the announced goal.

According to Arkham monitoring, the Ethereum Foundation has staked an additional ~$46.64 million worth of ETH, bringing its total staked amount to approximately $96.59 million. The move signals a strategic shift from previously selling ETH to generating yield through staking.… pic.twitter.com/qksWIInPts

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) April 3, 2026

The Ethereum Foundation supports protocol research, ecosystem development, and community grants. Its treasury policy changed in 2025 after criticism of the foundation’s previous practice of selling ether to fund operations. Those sales were often visible on-chain before completion and became a recurring point of discussion among traders and community members who said the process added predictable sell pressure to the market.

Under the newer treasury approach, the foundation is using staking rewards as a source of income while keeping the core ETH principal intact. That change shifts part of the treasury from a passive reserve into a yield-generating asset base.

Treasury Strategy Moves Away From Direct ETH Sales

The foundation’s treasury pivot dates back to June 2025, when it introduced a formal policy meant to reduce reliance on regular ETH sales. Instead of funding operations primarily by selling tokens to the market, the foundation began treating staking as a treasury tool to support annual expenses while preserving long-term ETH holdings.

At current institutional staking rates, the staked position is estimated to generate between $3.9 million and $5.4 million per year, based on an annual percentage yield of 2.7% to 3.8%. That level of income remains small compared with annual operating costs, which have historically been near $100 million, but it still converts part of the treasury’s dormant balance into an income-producing reserve.

The latest staking activity also shows that the foundation is not exhausting its treasury. On-chain portfolio data cited in the report shows the foundation still holds more than 100,000 ETH that has not been staked. It has not said whether it plans to expand the program beyond the initial 70,000 ETH target or keep the rest available as liquid reserves.

More ETH Locked as Network Staking Grows

The foundation’s strategy also arrives during continued growth in Ethereum staking across the wider network. Blockchain data referenced in the report says about 38 million ETH, roughly 30% of total supply, is now locked in staking contracts on the Beacon Chain. Market projections cited in the same material suggest that staking participation could exceed 50% of the circulating supply over the next few years if current trends continue.

That matters because each ETH moved into staking is removed from liquid circulation for as long as it remains locked in validator-related activity. While not all staked ETH is permanently unavailable, the effect is to reduce the amount of ether immediately available for sale or transfer in spot markets.

The foundation’s deposits were sent from its treasury multisig to the Ethereum staking system in uniform 2,047 ETH chunks. The structure of those transactions drew attention because of the size and timing, but the broader pattern was consistent with the target announced earlier in the year.

As of press time, Ethereum was trading at $2,059, representing a 1.28% gain over the previous 24 hours. Crypto analyst Ted Pillows said the asset’s ability to remain above $2,000 could support further upside, while a break below that level may accelerate the downtrend.