Key Notes
- Over 75,000 unclaimed ETH from TheDAO structures, now worth around $220 million, will seed the new security fund.
- 69,420 ETH to be staked, generating roughly $8 million in annual yield for ongoing grants.
- Grants target mainnet, layer 2 security, audits, user protection, and research through community-led DAO processes, per Unchained.
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Long-term Ethereumย supporters, known as โOGsโ are transforming remnants of the networkโs most famous crisis into a major security boost. This refers to $220 million of locked funds from TheDAO hack from 2016 and a recent movement from Vitalik Buterin together with other Ethereum OGs to build a security fund with that idle money.
Laura Shin broke the story in an exclusive Unchained report published on Jan. 29. Griff Green, a curator from the original DAO and member of the White Hat rescue group, is leading the effort alongside other early contributors and Vitalik Buterin, according to Shin.
EXCLUSIVE: Ethereum OGs and @VitalikButerin to create a $220 million Ethereum security fund ๐คฏ
You’ll never guess where the money comes from โฆ pic.twitter.com/KbfuQI6FX3
โ Laura Shin (@laurashin) January 29, 2026
The funds come from two untouched pools left after the 2016 hack recovery. One of them is the ExtraBalance contract with 70,500 ETH and the curator multisig holding assets worth $13.5 million. At current prices, the 70,500 ETH are worth more than $200 million.
Most of the Ethereum
ETH
$2 798
24h volatility:
6.9%
Market cap:
$337.80 B
Vol. 24h:
$34.69 B
โ69,420 ETHโwill be staked to create a sustainable income stream, while the rest supports immediate grants. Distribution will use quadratic funding, retroactive awards, and ranked-choice voting to stay true to DAO roots.
The Ethereum Foundation will define eligibility for each round, with operational help from Greenโs organization Giveth. Supported work includes auditors like Trail of Bits and OpenZeppelin, incident response teams like SEAL 911, research platforms such as L2Beat, and user tools including Revoke.cash and Blockaid.
Notably, Green told Unchained the untouched funds have grown significantly over the decade. He sees the timing as right to direct them toward making Ethereum more secure. The move also seeks to rekindle DAO development, which Green described as at a low point amid regulatory hurdles and paused projects.
โItโs 2026 and we never touched any of those funds. Theyโve appreciated substantially. And so itโs time. Itโs time to put them to work to make Ethereum safer and more secure,โ Griff Green told Laura Shin.
The 2016 DAO Hack and Its Lasting Impact
The original DAO raised over $150 million in 2016 but suffered a major exploit that drained millions in ETH. At that time, the community hard fork returned most of the funds but split the chain, birthing Ethereum Classicโan event Coinspeaker covered at the time.
Nearly ten years later, recent Ethereum upgrades continue prioritizing security and resilience. Coinspeaker reported on Jan. 12, 2026, on Vitalik Buterinโs comments about the network passing a โwalkway testโ for long-term independence.
Developers are also advancing the Hegota upgrade to improve censorship resistance. Buterin has also been advocating for better, not bigger DAO governance designsโaligning with this fundโs community-focused approach.
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.
Vini Barbosa has covered the crypto industry professionally since 2020, summing up to over 10,000 hours of research, writing, and editing related content for media outlets and key industry players. Vini is an active commentator and a heavy user of the technology, truly believing in its revolutionary potential. Topics of interest include blockchain, open-source software, decentralized finance, and real-world utility.
