The Ethereum Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the Ethereum ecosystem, has recently made a significant transfer of ETH that has caught the attention of the crypto community. On May 8, the Foundation transferred 1,000 ETH ($3 million) to a middle multi-signature wallet (0xbc9), as revealed by on-chain analytics platform SpotOnChain. This transaction has raised speculations within the community about whether this could signal a market top.
SpotOnChain also highlighted that the Ethereum Foundation has been active in making transactions throughout 2024. The Foundation has sold 1,766 ETH for 4.81 million DAI at an average price of $2,725 per ETH. These transactions were carried out in several small batches through the same multi-signature wallet, with SpotOnChain noting that they tend to precede a price drop. This pattern is concerning, especially considering the Foundation’s reputation for selling at market highs.
Market Impact of Past Sales
The Ethereum Foundation’s previous sell-offs have had a noticeable impact on the market. In 2022, a sale of 20,000 ETH led to a 40% drop in Ethereum’s price. Similarly, in 2021, a sale of 35,000 ETH contributed to a prolonged downtrend in ETH’s value. Journalist Colin Wu revealed that Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s founder, advocated for a sale of 70,000 ETH in 2018 to support developers, suggesting that the Foundation’s actions are strategic in anticipating market shifts.
Looking ahead, crypto analyst Shin Forex has predicted a potential drop in Ethereum’s price to $2,500. The analyst pointed to a decrease in liquidity flowing into the Ethereum ecosystem, indicating waning investor interest in the token. From a technical analysis standpoint, Shin Forex observed that the ETH/BTC pair has broken below the support level of 0.05, a trend that has historically preceded significant crashes in the market cycles of 2016 and 2019.
As the Ethereum Foundation continues to make large ETH transfers and historically timed sales, the crypto community remains wary of potential market fluctuations. By closely monitoring these transactions and analyzing their impact on Ethereum’s price, investors can gain insights into the Foundation’s market predictions and make informed decisions regarding their ETH holdings.
