The Ethereum Foundation is on the verge of locking down a major financial runway, now just 500 ETH shy of its 70,000 ETH staking target—a move poised to generate up to $5.4 million in annualized revenue. This strategic pivot, initiated in mid-2025, secures a sustainable funding mechanism for long-term protocol development, with Ethereum's price holding steady around $2,055 amid the foundation's deepening commitment to staking and DeFi-based treasury management.

The EF could earn up to $5.4 million a year in staking yields

The Ethereum Foundation started the year by staking 2,016 ETH, worth roughly $4.1 million, in February, followed up with 22,517 ETH, worth $46.1 million, in March. Its latest deposits, of more than 45,000 ETH, are the largest so far in 2026. The EF’s staked holdings are now worth approximately $143 million, and at current APYs of 2.7%–3.8%, they could yield $3.9-$5.4 million a year.

Dr. Lena Schmidt, a blockchain economist at the Digital Asset Research Institute, believes the increased staking is indicative of the foundation’s trust in the network’s sustainability. She commented, “It communicates a belief that the network’s staking yield and long-term appreciation outweigh other uses of capital, like funding grants or covering operational expenses.”

In the past, the Daily Gwei host, Anthony Sassano, had even encouraged the EF to stake its ETH and sell the staking rewards rather than exchanging ETH for stablecoins to better fund development.

However, earlier this year, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin warned that increased EF staking could give them an outsized, potentially problematic vote in a hard fork.

He stated, “If EF stakes, ourselves, this de facto forces us to take a position on any future contentious hard fork.” Nonetheless, he insisted that the foundation is looking for ways to offset any centralization in the event of a hard fork.

BlackRock launched ETHB, its staked Ethereum trust

Meanwhile, in March, BlackRock launched its iShares Staked Ethereum Trust, ETHB, a structure that passes nearly all staking profits back to the people buying the fund.

Investors now receive 82% of the staking rewards through monthly payments, comparable to dividends, and the remaining 18% goes to the trust, custodians, and staking providers. The firm detailed that at least 70% of the trust’s ETH will be staked to ensure investors get a steady return.

BlackRock’s U.S. equity chief Jay Jacobs said he sees some investors reallocating from ETHA to ETHB. He said, “The majority of Ethereum investors are interested in staking, so we believe that there will be some shift to ETHB.” He further noted that ETHB could appeal to Ethereum investors who were not previously interested in ETH-based products.

According to CoinMarketCap, Ethereum is currently trading at $2,053. However, Ethereum is hitting a wall at $2,163, struggling to break past a double-top resistance that has already pushed prices back twice. Traders are watching the MACD for a breakout signal, but if Ethereum can’t clear $2,163 soon, the current pattern suggests a potential slide back to the $1,980 range.

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