The Ethereum Foundation pushed its staking campaign forward on Friday, April 3, moving more than 45,000 ETH into the Beacon Deposit Contract and bringing its total staked holdings to roughly 69,500 ETH — just about 500 ETH shy of its 70,000 target.
Arkham Intelligence data shows the April push consisted of a series of roughly 22 deposits of about 2,047 ETH each, with the transfers valued at more than $92.2 million. In total, the foundation has now locked over $143 million in ETH on the Beacon chain to date.
A shift in treasury strategy
The ramp-up in staking follows a change to the foundation’s treasury policy announced last June and implemented earlier this year. The EF explained it was moving beyond simply holding ETH and increasingly into staking and DeFi “to enhance financial sustainability and to support a key application category” that provides broad permissionless access.
Staking so far:
- February: 2,016 ETH (~$4.1M)
- March: 22,517 ETH (~$46.1M)
- Early April: >45,000 ETH (>$92.2M)
These moves bring the foundation close to its stated 70,000 ETH stake goal.
Selling vs. staking
Under its updated strategy, the Foundation said it would periodically sell ETH to cover deviations between its fiat assets and the Opex buffer; it recently completed an OTC sale of 5,000 ETH. But the recent flurry of deposits indicates a tilt toward locking ETH to earn staking yield rather than relying solely on liquidations — a change that comes amid community pressure to reduce on-chain sales.
Market backdrop
ETH’s price has weighed on the debate: the token remains well below its peak, quoted in the article as about 60% under its all-time high of $4,946 (August 2025). At the time of reporting ETH was trading a little above $2,000, mostly flat on the day and up a bit over the past week.
Why it matters
Locking treasury ETH for staking helps the Foundation earn protocol-native yield and supports network security, but it also reduces liquidity available for operating expenses unless offset by periodic sales. The Foundation’s recent activity signals a strategic balancing act between preserving buying power and capturing sustainable income from staking as it approaches its 70k ETH target.
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