The Ethereum Foundation has just moved more than 160,000 ETH, worth around $610 million, into a brand new multisignature wallet. The group described the transfer as a planned migration, though the sheer size of the move caught a lot of eyes. That’s a serious chunk of its treasury, and naturally, people are curious what this means for the road ahead.
Goodbye Old Setup, Hello New Safe Wallet
The switch wasn’t random. The foundation confirmed it was moving away from its older, custom multisig wallet and adopting Safe Foundation’s wallet system instead. Earlier in the year, it ran tests using a 3-of-5 multisig setup.
The recent 160,000 ETH transfer was a scheduled @ethereumfndn wallet migration.
0xc06145782F31030dB1C40B203bE6B0fD53410B6d is the new main EF Treasury multisig wallet. https://t.co/5BCwv9YGyT
— hww.eth | Hsiao-Wei Wang (@hwwonx) October 21, 2025
Once satisfied, the team went ahead and brought the rest of the funds under the same structure. This change follows months of tinkering with various DeFi tools, including Aave, Cowswap, and Morpho Finance.
The Numbers Are Big, and So Are the Questions
Even though the foundation says this was just a routine upgrade, the timing and scale have sparked plenty of discussion. Back in June, they shared a new plan that involves allocating about 15 percent of treasury funds each year to growth-related initiatives. Over time, that percentage would gradually drop to 5 percent. The wallet move seems to fit within that plan, but the specific timing and switch to a new system suggest something more strategic could be going on.
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DeFiPunk Strategy Starts to Show Its Hand
In that same June announcement, the foundation introduced a new vision called the “DeFiPunk” approach. The idea was to put more of the treasury to work in open DeFi protocols, while keeping everything secure.
Moving the funds into a Safe wallet lines up neatly with that approach. It looks like the foundation is getting ready to become a more active player in the ecosystem, not just a quiet backer.
ETH’s Market and the Push for More Active Treasury Use
The migration also comes at an interesting time for ETH. Prices have recently pushed near all-time highs, then pulled back a bit. That kind of volatility makes secure treasury management even more important.
Safe’s infrastructure could help reduce risk on the operational side. At the same time, spreading funds more broadly through DeFi could help strengthen parts of the Ethereum ecosystem that don’t always get direct support.
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What Everyone Will Be Watching Now
Now that the funds are in their new home, all eyes are on what happens next. Will we see those ETH allocations move into DeFi projects? How much transparency will the foundation offer? People will also be looking for signs of returns and whether this new strategy impacts the broader Ethereum network. As the treasury becomes more active, clear updates will likely be key to keeping the community on board.
Bigger Moves Ahead for On-Chain Governance?
Changes like this don’t happen every day, especially not at this level. The Ethereum Foundation is doing more than just upgrading its wallet setup; it’s possibly setting the tone for how other major players manage large on-chain treasuries. Whether this inspires other DAOs or crypto foundations to rethink their own strategies remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: this was not just a technical update; it could mean the start of a more hands-on, transparent, and experimental phase in crypto treasury management.
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Key Takeaways
- The Ethereum Foundation moved over 160,000 ETH (worth $610 million) into a new Safe multisig wallet as part of a planned upgrade.
- This move marks a shift away from the foundation’s old wallet system and aligns with its strategy to use more DeFi tools for treasury management.
- The timing of the migration ties into its “DeFiPunk” strategy, where more treasury funds are expected to be deployed across open DeFi protocols.
- Ethereum’s price swings and treasury growth plans make secure and flexible fund management even more critical at this stage.
- This wallet change could influence how other large crypto foundations manage their treasuries, signaling a new era of active on-chain treasury use.
The post Ethereum Foundation Moves $610 Million in ETH to New Wallet appeared first on 99Bitcoins.
