The Ethereum Foundation has moved closer to its 70,000 ETH staking target after a new batch of deposits on April 3. The non-profit staked about 45,034 ETH in one day, taking its total staked Ether to nearly 69,500 ETH. That leaves the foundation less than 500 ETH away from the goal it introduced at the end of February.
The Ethereum Foundation added about 45,034 ETH to staking on April 3, based on on-chain data tracked by Arkham Intelligence. The deposits were made in multiple transactions of 2,047 ETH each. At the time of transfer, the total value was about $93 million.
This latest move sharply increased the amount of Ether the foundation has placed in the Beacon Deposit Contract. With the new deposits included, the foundation has now staked about 69,500 ETH in total. The full amount exceeds $143 million based on the figures provided.
The April transfer followed earlier staking rounds in February and March. The foundation first staked 2,016 ETH in February, then added 22,517 ETH in March. After the April deposits, the Ethereum Foundation is now very close to completing its 70,000 ETH staking plan.
The Ethereum Foundation said the staking plan is part of its updated treasury strategy. The group announced the initiative on February 24, 2026, following a treasury policy update adopted in June 2025. The aim is to use staking rewards to support operations rather than relying solely on periodic ETH sales.
In its updated policy, the foundation said, “We are now increasingly moving into staking and DeFi, both to enhance financial sustainability and to support a key application category that is delivering on the promise of permissionless, secure access to base civilizational infrastructure for millions of people today.” The foundation said this income will help fund protocol research, development work, grants, and ecosystem support.
The change came after criticism from parts of the Ethereum community over the foundation’s past practice of selling ETH to meet expenses. The new treasury plan is designed to create a yield-bearing base for operations. Based on estimated staking yields of 2.7% to 3.8%, the 70,000 ETH target could generate about $3.9 million to $5.4 million per year.
The Ethereum Foundation said it runs validators using open-source tools such as Dirk and Vouch. Dirk spreads signing duties across several regions, while Vouch supports different Beacon and Execution client combinations. The foundation said this setup is intended to avoid overreliance on a single client or operating model.
It also uses Type 2 withdrawal credentials, which allow more flexible balance management and reduce the number of keys needed. With a maximum effective balance of 2,048 ETH per validator, the foundation would need about 35 signing keys to manage the full 70,000 ETH allocation. Arkham data also shows the foundation still holds more than 100,000 ETH across tracked addresses.
At the same time, Ethereum Co-Founder Vitalik Buterin has raised concerns about the foundation's staking during network disputes. In January 2025, he said, “If EF stakes, ourselves, this de facto forces us to take a position on any future contentious hard fork.” He added that the foundation was exploring ways to reduce centralization risks associated with staking if such a split occurs.
Also Read: Ethereum News Today: ETH Holds Key Price Levels as Validator Exit Queue Clears