Overview
- Buterin says the funds trace to SHIB sent to his wallet in 2021 as a marketing ploy, with some converted to ETH and about $50 million reportedly donated to GiveWell.
- He split the remaining SHIB between India’s CryptoRelief and the Future of Life Institute during the memecoin surge.
- Expecting recipients could liquidate only $10–25 million, he says they ultimately converted roughly $500 million worth of SHIB.
- He now distances himself from FLI’s shift toward cultural and political advocacy on AI, warning that large money pools and lobbying can lead to unintended outcomes and erode trust.
- Promoting his d/acc approach, he emphasizes open-source defenses—secure hardware, early pandemic detection, and air filtration—and says he has directed roughly $40 million to this work.