Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has made a notable transfer of 2,013 ETH to OKX, a cryptocurrency exchange, as reported by Lookonchain citing Etherscan data from July 11th. According to on-chain data, the stash is currently worth over $3.76 million, and it marks the first time funds have been transferred to a cryptocurrency exchange.
The address had previously transferred funds to Kraken, another cryptocurrency exchange. However, it is evident that the address identified only as “0x9e92” is actively moving funds.
Over the years, the address has received 22,300 ETH, approximately $41.6 million, from December 30, 2022, to May 18, 2023. Besides today, the wallet has only moved funds once in the past 70 days when the whale transferred money to Gemini.
Transfers by whales and miners to centralized cryptocurrency exchanges can be viewed as bearish. This is because users on these exchanges can easily convert crypto assets into fiat currencies like USD or stablecoins. The more whales and miners transfer to centralized exchanges, the more retail investors may sell their coins, putting additional downward pressure on asset prices. However, it remains to be seen if the address associated with Vitalik Buterin will sell its holdings.
Considering his previous transfers, it is possible that his deposit to OKX may not have any impact on sentiment or negatively affect ETH prices.
Ethereum prices have been inconsistent, coinciding with the recent tumultuous price movements in the cryptocurrency markets. In particular, major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, have been under pressure as bears have pushed prices down in recent months.
The overall value of the cryptocurrency market has declined since the previous growth phase. During that time, the price of Ethereum surged to over $4,800 before plummeting to its current level.
As of July 11th, when I wrote this article, Ethereum prices were volatile and trading sideways below the resistance levels of $1,900 and $2,000. Although traders are optimistic, their confidence has not translated into strength, as ETH prices are moving within a bullish flag pattern with support around $1,800, as evident on the daily chart.
Meanwhile, decentralized finance (DeFi) activities and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) continue to be suppressed, which impacts the demand for ETH. Ethereum’s native currency, ETH, is used for paying transaction fees and other purposes. Increased activity leads to higher gas fees, which can drive up ETH prices.
In early May 2023, the Ethereum Foundation sold 15,000 ETH on Kraken, a cryptocurrency exchange. Their move coincided with a notable decline in Ethereum prices in the first half of May. Hence, it remains to be seen if the address associated with a potential deposit by Vitalik Buterin on OKX could fuel bearish sentiment.
Image credit: Canva, Chart from TradingView
