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Ethereum’s staking system dominates ownership, with the Beacon Deposit Contract holding most of the ETH supply.
Centralized exchanges still control large ETH reserves, mainly holding user funds for liquidity and trading.
Institutional players like BlackRock and ETH-focused companies show Ethereum is now a serious financial asset.
Ethereum has grown into the most crucial blockchain for smart contracts, decentralized finance, and digital assets. A mix of staking contracts, crypto exchanges, companies, and financial giants holds large amounts of ETH.
These holders play a big role in how Ethereum works, how liquid the market is, and how secure the network stays. Let’s take a look at the top Ethereum holders that have maintained a steady accumulation of ETH.
The Beacon Deposit Contract is by far the largest holder of Ethereum. It holds about 76 million ETH, which is more than half of the total supply. This contract is used for Ethereum’s Proof-of-Stake system, where validators lock up ETH to help secure the network and earn rewards.
ETH sent to the Beacon Deposit Contract is not owned by one single person or company. Instead, it represents millions of individual validators, staking pools, and institutions. These funds are locked to support network security, block validation, and consensus. Thanks to this, the contract is not a risk to decentralization, but actually a sign of strong trust in Ethereum’s long-term future.
Binance holds about 4 million ETH in consolidated reserves, which makes it the largest centralized exchange holder of this cryptocurrency. The funds serve as the primary resource for handling customer deposits and withdrawals and maintaining liquidity. Binance needs to retain its large ETH reserves as it serves millions of investors worldwide.
Platform users own most of the ETH while Binance controls the wallet access. This also means exchange security and transparency stay very important. Any movement of such large ETH amounts can affect market sentiment, even if the funds are not being sold.
Also Read: How Ethereum Finally Slashed $50 Gas Fees in 2026
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, holds an estimated 3.5 million ETH in 2026. This ETH is mainly connected to Ethereum-based investment products, tokenized funds, and institutional custody solutions. BlackRock’s presence shows how deeply Ethereum has entered traditional finance.
The company uses Ethereum for efficiency, transparency, and global settlement. Its holdings signal strong institutional confidence, even during times of market uncertainty. This also helps bring more conservative investors into the Ethereum ecosystem.
Bitmine is a publicly traded technology and infrastructure company that has made owning ETH its imperative. With about 3 million ETH, Bitmine treats Ethereum as a strategic reserve asset rather than a short-term investment.
The company believes Ethereum will power future finance, digital identity, and data systems. By holding large amounts of ETH on its balance sheet, Bitmine is similar to how some companies once focused heavily on holding Bitcoin. This strategy is bold and also risky, but it shows a strong belief in Ethereum's growth.
The Wrapped Ether contract manages approximately 2.5 million ETH tokens. WETH represents Ethereum that has been converted into an ERC-20 token for straightforward utilization on decentralized exchanges, NFT markets, and DeFi protocols. Every WETH token is backed one-to-one by ETH locked in the contract.
Users execute trades, lend, and provide liquidity, resulting in continuous movement of these assets. WETH functions as an essential component of Ethereum's DeFi ecosystem, although it lacks the status of traditional ownership.
Upbit holds about 1.5 million ETH. The platform handles substantial trading activity during periods of market growth that affect the local market. This exchange uses its ETH reserves for two purposes: providing liquidity and securing user assets.
Regional exchanges like Upbit establish crucial links between Ethereum and local investors who need to comply with regional regulations. Their holdings often grow fast during bull markets and slow down when activity drops.
Robinhood manages roughly 1.5 million ETH for US retail traders. Most of this ETH belongs to customers who buy and hold Ethereum through the app. Robinhood keeps these assets in custody, often using cold wallets for security.
The platform made crypto more accessible to everyday users. Even though users may not always control private keys directly, Robinhood’s extensive ETH holdings show strong retail demand in the United States.
Kraken holds close to 1.1 million ETH. Kraken is known for its long history, regulatory focus, and staking services. A portion of its ETH is also used for staking on behalf of users.
Kraken’s reserves support trading, withdrawals, and institutional services. Its steady ETH holdings reflect a more conservative and trust-based approach compared to some faster-growing exchanges.
OKX also holds about 1.1 million ETH. The exchange operates globally and offers both centralized and decentralized crypto services. Its ETH reserves help power spot trading, derivatives, and Web3 tools.
OKX has invested heavily in Ethereum-based products. ETH remains a core asset on its balance sheet.
Also Read: What is ERC-8004? Ethereum Meets AI Agents & How it Will Work?
Each of these holders plays a key role in maintaining Ethereum liquidity through constant accumulation, empowering market sentiment and positive investor mood. This helps ETH maintain bullish signals, allowing these firms and exchanges to profit when they sell their accumulated units.
These top Ethereum holders show how ETH is shared across staking systems, exchanges, companies, and institutions. This mix helps keep Ethereum active, secure, and deeply connected to the global financial system.
1. Who is the largest holder of Ethereum in 2026?
The Beacon Deposit Contract is the largest holder, with around 76 million ETH locked for network staking.
2. Do exchanges really own the ETH they hold?
Most ETH held by exchanges like Binance belongs to users, not the exchanges themselves.
3. Why does the Beacon Deposit Contract hold so much ETH?
It holds ETH that validators stake to secure Ethereum’s Proof-of-Stake network and earn rewards.
4. Why is BlackRock holding Ethereum?
BlackRock uses Ethereum for investment products, tokenization, and institutional exposure to crypto markets.
5. What is the role of Wrapped Ether in ETH holdings?
The Wrapped Ether contract locks ETH to issue WETH, making ETH usable across DeFi and trading platforms.
