Vitalik Buterin, Co-Founder of Ethereum, ‘Welcomes’ Viral Hippo Moo Deng

Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum, has made a generous donation of 10 million Thai baht (approximately $300,000) to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo near Bangkok. The funds will go towards enhancing the zoo’s facilities and creating a dedicated exhibit for Moo Deng, a five-month-old pygmy hippo, and her family.

Buterin revealed the donation in a post on X, also sharing that he had agreed to become Moo Deng’s “adoptive father” when she grows up. The contribution is a token of gratitude for the warm welcome he received at November’s Ethereum developer conference in Thailand. Buterin explained that the donation serves as a “Christmas gift” for Moo Deng, who has captured the hearts of many in Thailand and beyond, becoming an unexpected global celebrity.

Moo Deng, whose name means “bouncy pork” in Thai, became an internet sensation earlier this year after images of her went viral. She has two siblings: Moo Toon (“stewed pork”) and Moo Waan (“sweet pork”). Her fame also led to the creation of a memecoin, MOODENG, on the Solana blockchain. The token quickly gained traction, reaching a market cap of over $600 million in November after being listed on major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase.

MOODENG made history as the first memecoin based on an animal other than a dog or cat to see significant trading volumes and is regarded as Thailand’s first memecoin. However, the token’s value has since dropped by 60%, as Moo Deng’s popularity remains largely concentrated in Thailand and neighboring markets.