- Vitalik Buterin leads “KOL mindshare” with 1.69% amidst Ethereum Foundation criticism.
- Buterin justifies Ether sales as necessary for funding network development and operations.
- Ethereum Foundation weighs options for staking, avoiding potential risks from hard forks.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has taken a vocal stance on Crypto X to defend the Ethereum Foundation’s recent Ether sales, countering growing criticism. According to Andy, host of The Rollup, data from Kaito AI indicates Buterin has held the top spot in “KOL mindshare” for the last week at 1.69%, followed by Helius Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz at 1.18%. Buterin’s responses come as Ethereum faces heightened scrutiny over Ether sales and network performance.
Source: Vitalik.ETH on X
Buterin Defends Ether Sales and Network Integrity
Responding to critics, Buterin highlighted that the Foundation’s Ether sales fund core development and research, allowing Ethereum’s proof-of-stake mechanism to maintain low transaction fees and uphold zero-downtime operations since 2016. He urged skeptics to “show some respect” for the network’s achievements, noting that Ether sales enable ongoing development critical to Ethereum’s stability.
To address concerns over potential staking alternatives, Buterin explained that the Foundation’s caution about staking all Ether relates to avoiding forced decisions during contentious hard forks. He indicated the team is exploring options like staked Ether grants, which allow recipients to manage withdrawal timelines and collect staking rewards. Delegating staking roles to external groups is also under consideration.
Ethereum’s Future: Technical Vision Amid FUD
Amid growing FUD, especially as Ether’s price trails behind Bitcoin and Solana, Buterin has taken to X to advocate for Ethereum’s technical roadmap. By elaborating on upcoming stages—The Merge, Surge, Scourge, Verge, and Purge—Buterin aims to maintain confidence in Ethereum’s long-term goals and address community concerns about scalability, layer-2 integration, and network sustainability.
