Ethereum Foundation shifts from selling ETH to staking, signaling a structural change

Data from Arkham Intelligence indicates a behavioral shift at the Ethereum Foundation: the organization has stopped selling ETH and has begun staking it. The change is reflected in on-chain activity and comes as Ethereum’s price action tests long-term support levels.

Foundation shifts from selling to staking

For several months, periodic ETH sales from the Ethereum Foundation’s wallets acted as a recurring market overhang. Each confirmed sell transaction was widely interpreted as a signal from the organization behind Ethereum—an entity viewed as having deep technical understanding—choosing to convert its holdings into cash. That interpretation weighed on price.

Arkham’s on-chain data now shows the Foundation taking the opposite approach by staking ETH. Staking locks assets, removes them from circulation, and earns yield, aligning the Foundation’s position more directly with the protocol’s long-term outlook.

Staking adds $46.64 million to total staked position

The specific transaction highlighted by Arkham documents an additional $46.64 million in ETH staked by the Ethereum Foundation. This brings the Foundation’s total staked position to $96.59 million.

While a single staking transaction can be framed as treasury optimization, two transactions totaling nearly $100 million in the same direction suggest a repeated, deliberate commitment rather than an isolated adjustment.

Supply impact: reduced sell-side pressure

The effect of staking is direct and persistent for the duration of the stake. With $96.59 million in ETH now in staking contracts, the assets are unavailable for sale and removed from the liquid float. This reduces the sell-side pressure that previously contributed to weakness around the $2,000 level.

In this context, the Foundation’s move represents a shift from adding to market pressure through prior selling to actively reducing it through staking, at a time when Ethereum is being tested near a key long-term threshold.

Ethereum price: long-term support under pressure

Ethereum’s weekly structure suggests an inflection point rather than a confirmed breakdown. Price is holding near $2,060, slightly above the 200-week moving average, which has historically functioned as a long-term trend boundary.

Momentum weakens below key moving averages

After rejection from the $4,000–$4,500 region, Ethereum formed a lower high and broke the sequence of higher highs that characterized the prior expansion phase. Since then, ETH has retraced sharply, losing the 50-week and 100-week moving averages. Both averages are flattening and beginning to roll over, indicating weakening momentum, though not yet a completed trend reversal.

Follow-through remains the key question

The recent bounce off sub-$2,000 levels has not been strong enough to reclaim the 100-week average decisively. Without that recovery, ETH remains vulnerable to another test of the 200-week level.

Volume data does not show aggressive accumulation at current levels, raising the question of whether the current action reflects structural defense or a temporary pause.

If $2,000 fails on a weekly basis, the next meaningful support is described as significantly lower. If it holds, Ethereum’s long-term structure remains contested but still salvageable.