Vitalik Buterin and Sam Altman to Join Bitmine Shareholder Meeting: Insights from Tom Lee

Bitmine Immersion Technologies is set to hold a highly significant annual shareholder meeting today in Las Vegas, with prominent figures Vitalik Buterin and Sam Altman anticipated to attend, as stated by Bitmine chair Tom Lee.

Key Takeaways:

Bitmine is aiming to approve a major increase in its shares to facilitate further purchases of Ethereum.
According to Tom Lee, the company's growth hinges upon the success of this shareholder vote.
Bitmine is now recognized as one of the largest corporate holders of Ether.

This meeting is notable as it is the first annual gathering since Bitmine started acquiring Ethereum in June 2025. The focus will be on a proposal to substantially increase Bitmine’s share authorization.

Shareholders will be asked to approve raising the limit on the number of common shares from 500 million to 50 billion.

Vitalik Buterin, Sam Altman to Attend Bitmine Shareholder Vote: Tom Lee

Importance of the Shareholder Vote for Bitmine’s Future Growth

Tom Lee confirmed the attendance of both Buterin and Altman on Wednesday while stressing the importance of this vote for Bitmine’s strategic direction.

“If you don’t support the share increase, the company’s growth will stagnate,” Lee stated in an interview with SamproTV, a South Korean media outlet.

Bitmine funds most of its Ethereum purchases through the issuance and sale of new shares, making shareholder backing crucial for maintaining its acquisition momentum.

Lee indicated that the proposed increase aims to reduce the need for frequent requests for investor approvals in the future.

“We want an ample share reserve so that we never have to seek further authorization again,” he explained.

The company is part of a rising cohort of publicly traded firms that function as digital asset treasuries, primarily focused on accumulating and retaining cryptocurrencies on their balance sheets.

Bitmine has exclusively targeted Ethereum, which is the second-largest blockchain network by market capitalization and a central player in decentralized finance activities.

According to the company, Bitmine has amassed over 4.1 million Ether, valued at approximately $13.8 billion based on current market prices.

These substantial holdings position Bitmine among the largest corporate stakeholders of the cryptocurrency.

The anticipated presence of Buterin and Altman adds to the meeting's intrigue. Notably, Altman seldom speaks on Ethereum topics and is predominantly affiliated with World, a separate crypto initiative that emerged from Tools for Humanity, a company he co-founded.

Conversely, Buterin has not publicly commented on Bitmine, despite its considerable investment in Ethereum.

In past interactions, Lee and Buterin have shared stages, including an appearance together at the Token2049 conference in Singapore in October 2025.

Lee has mentioned that both Buterin and Altman are expected to deliver speeches at the meeting, although the details of their discussions remain undisclosed.

Buterin Asserts Ethereum Has Conquered the Blockchain Trilemma

Recently, Buterin claimed that the Ethereum network has successfully addressed the blockchain trilemma, achieving a milestone long considered elusive in the cryptocurrency space.

Buterin argued that the latest and upcoming upgrades have harmonized decentralization, security, and scalability through code that is already functioning effectively.

In parallel, Ethereum’s staking dynamics underwent significant changes as validator departures diminished, and new investments returned to long-term lockups, indicating a marked shift in market behavior among major Ether holders.