Vitalik Buterin donates $300,000 to Thai zoo and adopts viral pygmy hippo behind Moo Deng meme coin

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has pledged nearly $300,000 to Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, taking on the role of foster father to Moo Deng, a pygmy hippopotamus that inspired the viral meme coin MOODENG.

Buterin’s Christmas gift will go toward improving the zoo’s facilities and supporting its Wildlife Sponsorship program.

Cryptocurrencies meet conservation

In a letter addressed to the director of Khao Kheow shared At X, the Russian-born programmer explained that his involvement arose from a recent visit to the facility, where he was captivated by its commitment to animal welfare and community engagement. He thanked the zoo for welcoming him and highlighted Moo Deng’s unique role as a cultural ambassador of Thailand.

Buterin praised the animal sanctuary’s efforts and reiterated the importance of improving the pygmy hippo’s habitat. He also acknowledged Thailand’s hospitality towards the Ethereum community, especially during Devcon SEA in Bangkok last November.

The 30-year-old said he would donate no less than 10 million baht, approximately $300,000, in Moo Deng’s name, which would be given in two installments. The first contribution was made on December 26, with the date for the second set later. Buterin also pledged an additional 88 ETH to ensure continued support for the zoo’s projects.

Previously, the establishment had posted on X expressing its gratitude for the Ethereum developer’s generosity, calling him “a foster father of Moo Deng.” He responded, sharing his excitement about the role and quoting a popular line from the Star Trek shows: “May they live long and prosper.”

Market performance

Already a beloved symbol in Thailand, Moo Deng gained global fame as the face of the MOODENG coin. The token has caught the attention of the crypto community despite recent market fluctuations.

At the time of writing, it was trading at $0.2693, with a 24-hour trading volume of $179.7 million, representing a 50.3% increase in activity compared to the previous day. .

While the token’s price fell 3.2% in the last 24 hours, it gained 6.1% over the past week, outperforming the broader crypto market, which had seen a 1.2% drop in that period.

Buterin previously liquidated over $1 million worth of meme tokens donated to him, including $10 billion from MOODENG, and donated the proceeds to various charities.

Interestingly, he recently criticized the meme coin space, denouncing the proliferation of celebrity-inspired tokens. He argued that it would be better if they had a public goal aimed at promoting a specific cause or at least incorporated fun mechanics that went beyond commerce.