Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has made a massive donation to Zuitzerland, a decentralized project inspired by his Zuzalu experiment.
Onchain Lens, a blockchain surveillance platform, was the first to highlight the fund transfer, in which Vitalik Buterin sent 274 ETH (around $500,000) to Isla, a Web3 researcher contributing to the development of the Zuitzerland project.
This donation was unsurprising given the Ethereum co-founder’s indirect ties to Zuitzerland. Although the project was developed by other founders, it takes inspiration from Vitalik Buterin’s Zuzalu experiment.
How Does Zuitzerland Link to Buterin’s Zuzalu Experiment
For those unfamiliar, Zuzalu was a temporary community experiment led by Vitalik Buterin from March to May 2023 in Montenegro. The initiative aimed to explore a living arrangement where individuals with shared interests, such as technology, longevity, and decentralized governance, could co-live and exchange ideas.
Around 200 participants attended, engaging in discussions, workshops, and social events. The experiment sought to explore how a temporary, high-concentration community could help with innovation and long-term collaboration.
Zuitzerland expands on the Zuzalu concept by presenting residencies, hackathons, and city events to like-minded individuals, including thinkers and builders. The project’s platform also lists Vitalik Buterin as one of its “speakers and curators.”
Buterin’s Altcoin Sales
However, Buterin’s latest philanthropic contribution appears to have come at the expense of other crypto projects. Notably, on-chain data reveals that he sold several donated assets just before transferring 274 ETH to Isla.
Specifically, the Ethereum co-founder sold 5,000 Dohrnii tokens for $93,882 at 8:05 PM UTC on March 31. Just a minute later, he liquidated 2 trillion LEDOG (DOG) for $16,569. Following these transactions, he consolidated the funds and transferred 274 ETH to a contract address associated with Isla.
Notably, Buterin received the Dohrnii and LEDOG tokens as donations from the projects’ founders. In January 2025, the Dohrnii Labs Treasury sent him 10,000 DHN, while LEDOG’s founders transferred 10 trillion DOG tokens to him in August 2024.
Since receiving these tokens, Buterin has gradually liquidated them for various purposes. Last month, he sold 5,000 DHN before offloading the remaining balance yesterday. Meanwhile, he has been selling DOG tokens in batches since October but still holds 2 trillion at the time of writing.
Notably, founders of these tokens often gift Buterin portions of their supply as a gesture of gratitude, but these moves could also be attributed to marketing strategies aimed at greater visibility.
While he sells off these tokens to donate to projects and charities, in November 2022, Buterin urged these founders to make these donations to charities themselves instead of sending the tokens to him. Recall that the Ethereum co-founder sold off some of the SHIB tokens he received to donate to an Indian COVID-19 relief fund.
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