TLDR
- Vitalik Buterin received 6.29 million STRK tokens from a recent airdrop unlock.
- The unlocked STRK tokens are currently valued at approximately $1.01 million.
- The tokens were initially allocated one year ago and originated from Starknet’s early seed round.
- STRK now represents the second-largest holding in Buterin’s wallet after Ethereum.
- Vitalik Buterin’s ETH holdings are valued at approximately $1.06 billion.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin received 6.29 million STRK tokens in a recent airdrop unlock. The tokens are currently valued at $1.01 million. Blockchain analyst Ai Yi reported the transaction on October 9, based on on-chain data.
The tokens were unlocked one year after they were initially allocated to Buterin’s wallet. They stem from his involvement in Starknet’s early seed round. He had deposited the locked tokens to Binance after receiving them in 2024.
Buterin participated as an individual investor during StarkWare’s seed round in January 2018. That round secured $6 million for Starknet’s development. At the time, the project was still in its early stages.
STRK Airdrop Unlock Boosts Buterin’s Holdings
Vitalik Buterin now holds one of the largest individual wallets of STRK following the airdrop unlock. The 6.29 million STRK make up the second-largest holding in his portfolio. According to Arkham Intelligence, the tokens are currently worth $1.01 million.
One part of L2 scaling is Ethereum increasing its blob capacity. The other part is rollups becoming more data-efficient. Good to see @Starknet rising to the challenge.
Would love to see more EVM rollups increasing data efficiency too (see https://t.co/HZijLDNqog ) https://t.co/0MTasPyPEg
— vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin) November 18, 2024
The STRK token is currently priced at around $0.16, marking a significant drop from its earlier highs. STRK once traded at $4.41 in February 2024, marking its all-time high. Since then, its value has declined by nearly 60%, according to CoinGecko data.
Despite the decline, Buterin has maintained support for Starknet. In 2023, he praised Starknet’s technical improvements, including data efficiency and reduced gas costs. He has also acknowledged the role of zero-knowledge rollups in Ethereum scaling.
Over the past year, Vitalik Buterin moved STRK across various wallets and exchanges. In May 2024, he unlocked 2.11 million STRK, which was valued at $1.07 million at the time. In September 2024, he withdrew another 1.26 million STRK from his wallet.
These transactions increased his STRK holdings to over 2.11 million STRK before the recent unlock. His consistent movements indicate management for either custody or privacy reasons. Each unlock followed a one-year lock-in period.
This pattern aligns with long-term participation from early Starknet backers. It confirms Buterin’s continued association with the project. His STRK portfolio now holds a significant place in his overall crypto holdings.
Buterin’s ETH Remains His Largest Asset
While STRK contributes to Buterin’s net worth, Ethereum remains his most significant asset. On October 9, his ETH wallet held approximately 240,000 ETH. The value of this ETH stash reached $1.06 billion at the time.
ETH dominates Buterin’s wallet, accounting for over 90% of its total value. Nevertheless, STRK has become a central secondary holding. It now surpasses several other ERC-20 tokens he holds.
This STRK unlock highlights the rewards for early supporters of Layer 2 solutions. Buterin’s involvement reflects his long-standing belief in Ethereum scaling technologies. He continues to back projects focused on rollups and zero-knowledge proofs.
