Vitalik Buterin allocates 16,384 ETH to support open-source, secure and verifiable Ethereum infrastructure.
Alyssa Davidson
Posted: January 30, 2026 5:48 AM Updated: January 30, 2026 5:48 AM
Edit and fact check date: January 30, 2026, 5:48 AM
briefly
Vitalik Buterin announced that the Ethereum Foundation is adopting a policy of mild austerity, allocating 16,384 ETH to focus on Ethereum’s core development while also funding open source security infrastructure.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin announced that the Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting the development of the Ethereum network, is entering a phase of moderate austerity.
According to a post on social media platform First, to advance a roadmap that strengthens Ethereum’s position as a high-performance, scalable global computing platform without compromising robustness, sustainability, or decentralization. Second, to ensure the Foundation’s ability to operate effectively over the long term by protecting Ethereum’s core mission and priorities, including the integrity of the underlying blockchain layer and the ability of users to interact with the network while maintaining self-sovereignty, security, and privacy.
Vitalik Buterin pledges 16,384 ETH to develop an open-source, secure and verifiable technology stack
Vitalik Buterin described his personal commitment to the Ethereum Foundation initiative as part of the organization’s current austerity measures, taking on responsibilities that may have previously been handled as separate “special projects.”
He is focused on developing a fully open source, secure, and verifiable technology stack that can protect both private and public environments. These efforts span a wide range of applications, including finance, communications, governance, blockchain infrastructure, operating systems, security hardware, and biotechnology, with a particular focus on privacy, security, and verifiability.
Recent initiatives such as the Vensa project to advance open silicon for security-critical applications, integrated zero-knowledge proofs, fully homomorphic encryption and differential privacy, air quality monitoring efforts, contributions to encrypted messaging apps, and the ucritter.com platform with local-first software support focused on privacy reflect this important vision.
To support these goals, he withdrew 16,384 ETH, which will be allocated to these projects over the next few years. He is also exploring secure, decentralized staking mechanisms to provide future staking rewards towards the same goal.
Ethereum itself is central to its vision of a verifiable, full-stack, open ecosystem. The Ethereum Foundation is committed to developing Ethereum, prioritizing accessibility and self-sovereignty over widespread adoption or commercial dominance.
The Foundation’s work is guided by the principle that technology should empower individuals and communities to maintain autonomy and security, and should provide truly open, verifiable and resilient systems rather than restricted or commercially restricted platforms.
This approach positions technology infrastructure as a controllable and trustworthy foundation for broader societal resilience and emphasizes user sovereignty, transparency, and community protection as core values.
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About the author
As MPost’s resident journalist, Alisa specializes in the broad areas of cryptocurrencies, zero-knowledge proofs, investing, and Web3. With a keen eye for new trends and technologies, she provides comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers about the ever-evolving digital financial landscape.
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As MPost’s resident journalist, Alisa specializes in the broad areas of cryptocurrencies, zero-knowledge proofs, investing, and Web3. With a keen eye for new trends and technologies, she provides comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers about the ever-evolving digital financial landscape.
more articles