QUICK BYTE

• Vitalik Buterin has sold $1.6 million worth of memecoins, converting them into Ether, and donated part of the proceeds to charity, bringing his total donations to $884,000 in the last nine days.
• In a recent blog post, Buterin reflected on Ethereum’s post-Merge future, emphasizing faster transaction speeds, improved security, and greater accessibility for solo stakers.

Ethereum co-creator Vitalik Buterin has been actively engaging with both Ethereum’s development and charitable endeavors. Recently, Buterin sold $1.6 million worth of memecoins, converting them into Ether (ETH) for charitable donations.

The sale included $982,800 in Moo Deng (MOODENG), $231,000 in Monsterra (MSTR), and $183,000 in Ethereum Is Good (EBULL), according to blockchain analytics firm Spot On Chain. In total, Buterin has sold $2.78 million worth of memecoins over the past nine days, donating $884,000 to various charitable causes.

While acknowledging the generosity of memecoin creators, Buterin suggested that it might be more effective if they donated directly to charities. His charitable efforts have ranged from funding anti-airborne disease initiatives to supporting animal welfare through the Effective Altruism Funds. With a remaining crypto portfolio worth $700 million, including $2.4 million in MOODENG, further donations from Buterin are expected.

Amid these philanthropic efforts, Buterin also shared his vision for Ethereum’s future. In a blog post on October 14, Buterin reflected on the protocol’s evolution following the 2022 Merge, which transitioned Ethereum from proof-of-work (PoW) to proof-of-stake (PoS). Buterin emphasized that while “the Merge” was a major milestone, significant improvements remain, particularly in reducing transaction times and enhancing accessibility.

One of Buterin’s key proposals is implementing single-slot finality, which could drastically reduce Ethereum’s transaction completion time from the current 15 minutes. He also advocated lowering the staking requirement from 32 ETH to 1 ETH, allowing a wider range of users to participate in Ethereum’s security and governance.

Looking ahead, Buterin stressed the importance of safeguarding Ethereum from potential future threats, such as quantum computing, while also improving network security through cryptographic innovations. As Ethereum prepares for its next major upgrade, Prague-Electra (Pectra), in 2025, Buterin remains committed to both advancing the protocol and using its success to make a positive social impact.