Ethereum Foundation starts treasury staking with Bitwise tools, planning to stake up to 70,000 ETH while supporting validator diversity.
Ethereum Foundation has started staking part of its treasury as it expands its role in securing the network. The effort began with a modest deposit and may grow into one of the foundation’s largest staking programs. Bitwise’s onchain division provides the infrastructure supporting the initiative. Over time, the foundation plans to stake about 70,000 ETH.
Dirk and Vouch Power Ethereum Foundation’s Institutional Staking Setup
Bitwise Asset Management announced that its onchain staking unit, Bitwise Onchain Solutions (BOS), is building and maintaining the software behind the Ethereum Foundation’s treasury staking program. The plan began with an initial deposit of 2,016 ETH and may expand to around 70,000 ETH. At current prices, that amount is valued at more than $140 million.
Two open-source tools, Dirk and Vouch, power the staking system. Both came from Attestant, a staking infrastructure firm Bitwise acquired in 2024. Engineers built the software to meet strict security and operational standards for large-scale staking.
Dirk functions as a distributed signer, allowing operators to run validators across several jurisdictions rather than a single location. Basically, this structure removes a single failure point that could disrupt validation operations.
Vouch supports multiple client pairings across the network. Staking setups that rely on a single client can expose the network to broader technical risks. Vouch addresses that issue by allowing different client combinations during validator operations.
Attestant Co-Founder Calls Ethereum Foundation Adoption a Milestone
Sreejith Das, head of on-chain solutions at Bitwise and co-founder of Attestant, said the tools were originally built to support resilient and secure staking infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem. He added that the Ethereum Foundation’s decision to adopt Dirk and Vouch reflects the original goal behind their development.
Bitwise Chief Technology Officer Hong Kim also addressed the partnership. According to Kim, the company has long viewed blockchain infrastructure as a key part of the future financial system.
The CTO went on to say that “To have the Ethereum Foundation—the primary steward of the Ethereum network— select Bitwise’s technology for their own treasury is a watershed moment for our firm and a testament to the quality of our onchain solutions.”
Professional Staking Services Expand Following ETH’s PoS Shift
Staking treasury funds allows the Ethereum Foundation to earn rewards while supporting the network’s validator set. Validators secure Ethereum by proposing blocks and confirming transactions. Participants receive ETH rewards in return for running validator nodes.
Institutional demand for staking services has grown steadily since Ethereum moved to proof-of-stake in 2022. Asset managers, custodians, and infrastructure providers now offer professional validator operations for large holders.
Bitwise maintains that Dirk and Vouch will remain open-source tools available to the wider Ethereum community. Meanwhile, developers continue to update the software as part of the broader public infrastructure for Ethereum.
