Vitalik Buterin dumps meme coins for ETH, doubles down on privacy
Vitalik Buterin has again made headlines for his approach to handling unwanted meme coins and protecting transaction privacy. The Ethereum co-founder recently sold gifted low-cap tokens, converting them into 14.5 ETH—worth over $30,000—while reinforcing his stance on privacy as a core right. His latest moves also include transferring funds into a privacy-focused protocol called Railgun. Buterin has long rejected unsolicited meme coins, either burning them or selling them to fund development and charity. This time, he offloaded gifted tokens for around 14.5 ETH, continuing a pattern of redirecting such assets toward ecosystem growth and philanthropy. He has also urged developers to stop sending him these coins, suggesting they donate them to charity instead.
His latest transaction involved moving 70,000 USDC and 44 ETH—totalling $92,000—into Railgun, a privacy tool built on ZK-SNARKs. This follows his advocacy for financial privacy, which he views as a fundamental human right. Railgun's technology shields transactions from excessive public scrutiny, aligning with his principles.
Buterin's last major Ethereum sale occurred in February 2026, when he sold 17,696 ETH for $35 million. Since then, Ethereum's price has climbed nearly 8% over the past week, reflecting ongoing market confidence. The funds from Buterin's recent sales and transfers will likely support infrastructure and charitable projects, as he has done before. His use of privacy tools like Railgun further highlights his commitment to protecting transactional anonymity. Meanwhile, Ethereum's price movement suggests sustained investor interest in the network.
