An early Ethereum ICO participant sold 4,283 ETH for $18.97M, bringing total sales since 2021 to 44,284 ETH.
By Bhushan Akolkar
Editor Hamza Tariq
Updated
2 mins read
Ethereum ETH $4 625 24h volatility: 1.1% Market cap: $557.99 B Vol. 24h: $67.53 B ICO-era whales are cashing in as the price struggles to break its all-time high of $4,891.
On-chain data shows that 98% of Ethereum is currently in profit, raising the likelihood of profit-taking. The price has pulled back 1% in the last 24 hours and is now finding support around $4,600.
An early Ethereum initial coin offering (ICO) participant has realized significant gains after offloading a portion of their holdings.
The investor, who originally purchased 100,000 ETH for $31,000 during the ICO, recently sold 4,283 ETH for approximately $18.97 million.
Since 2021, the wallet has sold a total of 44,284 ETH, generating around $105 million at an average price of $2,378 per token. Despite these sales, the address still holds 55,716 ETH, currently valued at about $261.6 million.
Overall, the investor’s total profit from these transactions stands at $366.8 million, marking an extraordinary 11,835x return on the initial investment, reported LookonChain.
An #Ethereum ICO participant who bought 100K $ETH(costing $31K) sold 4,283 $ETH($18.97M) again recently.
He has sold 44,284 $ETH($105M) at an average price of $2,378 since 2021, leaving 55,716 $ETH($261.6M).
The total profit is ~$366.8M, an 11,835x return!… pic.twitter.com/C7xwhHh4Nn
— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) August 13, 2025
Amid the massive 60% ETH price rally over the past month, the cryptocurrency’s market cap climbed above $500 billion, while overtaking giants like Netflix.
Following the recent rally, about 98% of ETH holders are in profit, which further raises the chances of profit-taking.
On-chain analytics firm Glassnode reported that Ethereum’s “Percent Supply in Profit” metric exceeded 98% on Thursday, marking its highest level in two years.
The indicator tracks the proportion of ETH coins currently valued above their last on-chain transaction price. Coins are considered “in profit” when the market price is higher than their previous transaction price and “in loss” when it is lower.
Ethereum’s “Percent Supply in Profit” hits 98%, the highest in two years. | Source: Glassnode
Historically, levels above 95% indicate an overheated market nearing a local peak, as the majority of investors sit on unrealized gains. This increases the likelihood of profit-taking.
I keep saying this, your time to buy $ETH isn't right now, that was earlier.
I'd prefer to wait for a strong correction to be chasing a position in $ETH.
Areas to monitor:
$4.2K
$3.8KTargets after that?
Higher than $5K I would assume. pic.twitter.com/vxlLUUNmPk
— Michaël van de Poppe (@CryptoMichNL) August 14, 2025
So far, ETH treasury firms like Bitmine Technologies have supported the upside rally amid heavy accumulation over the past two months. The coming weeks will reveal whether whales are using this demand as an opportunity to exit their positions.
Disclaimer: Coinspeaker is committed to providing unbiased and transparent reporting. This article aims to deliver accurate and timely information but should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Since market conditions can change rapidly, we encourage you to verify information on your own and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.
Bhushan is a FinTech enthusiast and holds a good flair in understanding financial markets. His interest in economics and finance draw his attention towards the new emerging Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency markets. He is continuously in a learning process and keeps himself motivated by sharing his acquired knowledge. In free time he reads thriller fictions novels and sometimes explore his culinary skills.
