Ethereum Foundation unveils DeFi team and ETH staking

Ethereum Foundation forms a DeFi team and starts staking up to 70,000 ETH, reinvesting rewards to fund research and growth. Despite bearish trends, it boosts DeFi efforts and supports privacy-focused projects.

The Ethereum Foundation has established a dedicated team to drive innovation and support within decentralized finance (DeFi), marking a strategic shift to accelerate DeFi protocol development and mainstream adoption in 2025. This new team features experienced members from MakerDAO and Gearbox Protocol, bringing valuable governance and product expertise to the initiative. In parallel, the Foundation has started staking its treasury, beginning with a 2,016 ETH deposit and targeting a total of 70,000 ETH. Staking rewards will be reinvested into the treasury to fund protocol research, ecosystem growth, and community grants, aiming to reduce sell pressure and ensure long-term sustainability. The staking approach prioritizes decentralization, security, and operational resilience by utilizing solo validators, client diversity, and open-source tools. Despite bearish market conditions and declining ETH prices, the Foundation is intensifying its DeFi initiatives, including the privacy-focused DeFipunk project. This demonstrates a strong commitment to privacy, self-custody, and censorship-resistant finance, reinforcing the Foundation’s dedication to long-term growth and innovation.