Vitalik Buterin has regained billionaire status — his cryptocurrency portfolio surpassed the $1 billion mark after Ethereum hit $4,200 for the first time in eight months.
Returning to the billionaire club
Arkham analysts reported on August 9 that the co-founder of Ethereum has once again become a "blockchain billionaire." At the time of publication, Buterin's portfolio is estimated at approximately $1.04 billion. His assets include 240,042 $ETH , as well as small stakes in other cryptocurrencies — Aave Ethereum (AETHWETH), WhiteRock (WHITE), Moo Deng (MOODENG), and Wrapped Ethereum (WETH).
On August 9, Ethereum rose another 6.38%, reaching a peak of $4,332. This level hasn't been seen since December 2024. At the same time, Bitcoin's share of the total cryptocurrency market capitalization decreased.
Traders predict new highs
Some market participants believe that Ethereum is moving towards a new all-time high of $4,878 set in November 2021. Crypto trader Ted wrote on social media X that this is "a matter of a few days."
CoinGlass data shows that a rise to $4,500 would threaten short positions worth about $1.35 billion. Traders are discussing the possibility of a mass short squeeze in the near future.
Arkham analysts also noted the growing popularity of Ethereum-ETFs. "Yesterday, the total inflow into Ethereum-ETFs was $461 million compared to $404 million for Bitcoin-ETFs," they reported.
Over the past five trading days, American spot Ethereum-ETFs attracted $326.6 million in net capital inflows, while Bitcoin-ETFs attracted $253.2 million, according to Farside data.
The story of a billion-dollar fortune
Buterin first became a crypto billionaire at the age of 27 in May 2021, when Ethereum first crossed the $3,000 mark. At that time, he owned approximately 333,500 ETH worth about $1.029 billion, according to Etherscan data. This occurred after the price of ETH rose more than four times from around $700 at the beginning of 2021.
Risk warning
Although many in the industry associate the rise in Ethereum's price with the emergence of companies with ETH in corporate reserves, Buterin recently warned against this trend.
"If you woke me up three years from now and told me that companies with reserves led to the collapse of ETH, my version of the reasons would be that they somehow turned it into a game of excessive leverage," Buterin said in an interview on August 7.
