Vitalik Buterin Adopts Baby Pygmy Hippo, MOODENG Meme Token Jumps 95%

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has taken an unexpected turn in his philanthropic journey by becoming the foster parent of Moo Deng

Co-founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, has become the foster parent of Moo Deng, a baby pygmy hippo at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, and donated 10 million Thai baht ($286,800) to the zoo’s Wildlife Sponsorship Program.

“We are honored to have Mr. Vitalik Buterin join the Wildlife Sponsorship Program and adopt Moo Deng with a generous gift of 10,000,000 THB for her family,” the zoo announced on Monday.

The funds, to be provided in two installments, will go towards Moo Deng’s care, her family’s upkeep, and the construction of a 1,600-square-meter educational center at the zoo to raise awareness about pygmy hippos.

“I am delighted to accept your invitation to be Moo Deng’s adoptive father while she grows up, and to donate the zoo in her name no less than 10,000,000 THB,” Buterin said in a letter shared by the zoo.

The zoo aims to use Buterin’s contribution to highlight the misconceptions surrounding pygmy hippos, which are often mistaken for their larger, more aggressive counterparts. These smaller, shy, and nocturnal creatures play a crucial role in their ecosystems, making their protection all the more important.

MOODENG Token Surges 95% Post-Adoption

Within an hour of the adoption announcement, the MOODENG meme token—a cryptocurrency inspired by Moo Deng—saw its value increase by 95%.

The token, which was trading at $0.0001240 earlier on Monday, experienced a surge in activity following the news, reaching a peak of $0.0002417 on the same day. Trading volumes also saw a substantial increase of 525%.

Major crypto exchanges, such as Coinbase, quickly listed MOODENG, further contributing to its popularity among traders.

Buterin, who visited Thailand earlier this year for Devcon in Bangkok and made a trip to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in November, had expressed his interest in supporting the country’s wildlife conservation efforts.

The adoption of Moo Deng aligns with Buterin’s history of charitable actions, such as converting $1.6 million in meme coins into ETH for philanthropic causes.

The gesture, which coincided with Christmas, was met with widespread appreciation within the crypto and charity sectors.

Buterin, a known supporter of meme coins contributing to good causes, has also spoken about the possibility of creating decentralized autonomous organizations to formalize such initiatives.

The zoo’s initiative, bolstered by Buterin’s donation, will help ensure that Moo Deng and her fellow pygmy hippos have a secure habitat and that the educational center will inform visitors about the unique traits of these animals, fostering empathy and conservation efforts.

Buterin’s involvement in blending technology with humanity-driven initiatives continues to inspire, with some experts, like economists Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, suggesting he might one day be a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences.