Vitalik Buterin Adopts Moo Deng the Pygmy Hippo, Donates $300K to Thai Zoo

The Ethereum co-founder said the donations came on the back of the “wonderful hospitality of Thailand” during November's annual Ethereum developer conference

Crypto prices may be stalled andịpally rendering them unable to purchase a new bicycle for Christmas, but some with money are trying to spread the goodwill around.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said he'd accepted an invitation to be the “adoptive father” of pygmy hippo Moo Deng when she grows up. He is also donating 10 million Thai baht ($300,000) to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo near Bangkok where the five-month-old lives, he said in a Thursday (Dec 22) posting on X.

The donations, made in Moo Deng’s name, will be used to upgrade general zoo operations and create a dedicated pygmy hippo habitat within the premises.

Buterin said the donations came on the back of the “wonderful hospitality of Thailand” during November's annual Ethereum developer conference, and were a “gesture of friendship and respect” to all of the country.

“What better way to do that than through a Christmas present to someone who is dear to all Thai people, Moo Deng, and who has become one of the most unexpected and important Thai celebrities on the world stage," Buterin said in a letter to the zoo.

Thanks for the warm welcome to the family and your work for wild animals!

I'm happy to be adoptive father to Moo Deng as she grows up over the next 2y and support her with my 10M THB donation, maybe more as I set aside 88 ETH for🦛+ frens. May they live long and prosper🖖🏻 pic.twitter.com/l24vPybhTi

Moo Deng, or bouncy pork in Thai, became a popular internet meme earlier this year after images of her went viral online. She has two siblings, brother Moo Toon (stewed pork) and sister Moo Waan (sweet pork).

A memecoin she inspired, MOODENG on Solana, went similarly viral and hit a market capitalization of above $600 million in November after bagging listings on influential exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase.

MOODENG was the first token themed on an animal other than a dog or cat to garner massive trading volumes and is considered by some to be the first Thai memecoin.

Token prices are down 60% from peak, however, as much of Moo Deng’s popularity remains focused within Thailand and neighboring markets.