Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has once again demonstrated his commitment to supporting decentralized initiatives, recently donating 274 ETH (approximately $500,000) to the Zuitzerland project. This donation aligns with his long-standing advocacy for privacy-enhancing technologies and decentralized governance.
Zuitzerland is a decentralized community project inspired by Buterin’s earlier experiment, Zuzalu, which was launched in Montenegro in 2023. Zuzalu was a temporary settlement where blockchain innovators, longevity researchers, and tech enthusiasts co-lived to exchange ideas and collaborate.
Building on this foundation, Zuitzerland aims to create a more permanent space for innovation, offering residencies, hackathons, and city-wide events to bring together forward-thinking individuals.
While Buterin did not found Zuitzerland, his influence is evident—he is listed as a speaker and curator on the platform. His donation was sent to Isla, a Web3 researcher working on the project, further cementing his support for decentralized initiatives.
Buterin’s Strategic Asset Sales
On-chain data reveals that Buterin’s donation was partially funded by liquidating various lesser-known altcoins. Just before transferring the ETH, he sold:
- 5,000 Dohrnii (DHN) tokens for $93,882 on March 31.
- 2 trillion LEDOG (DOG) tokens for $16,569 shortly after.
These assets were originally gifted to Buterin by their respective project founders, a common practice among altcoin developers hoping for increased visibility. However, Buterin has consistently maintained that he does not hold onto these tokens, preferring to sell them and allocate funds to causes he deems meaningful.
This latest donation echoes Buterin’s past philanthropic efforts. In 2021, he famously offloaded a significant portion of SHIB tokens sent to him by the Shiba Inu team, donating $1 billion to India’s COVID-19 relief fund. Similarly, in November 2022, he publicly urged altcoin founders to donate directly to charities instead of sending their tokens to him, reinforcing his stance against being used as a marketing tool
Shogun Lin
