Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has officially adopted Moo Deng, a pygmy hippopotamus that has become an internet sensation.
Buterin contributed 88 Ether, valued at approximately $292,000, to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, where Moo Deng resides.
Memecoin Moo Deng surges after Buterin donation
Moo Deng, born on July 10, 2024, gained international attention at just two months old when her photos went viral on social media. Khao Kheow Open Zoo shared her images on its official Facebook page, sparking a wave of popularity.
Moo Deng’s fans responded enthusiastically, prompting the zoo to release merchandise featuring his image. This surge in interest doubled the zoo’s daily visitor numbers by September 2024.
Thank you for the warm welcome to the family and their work with wildlife! I'm happy to be Moo Deng's foster parent as she grows over the next 2 years and support her with my donation of 10 million THB, maybe more as I reserved 88 ETH for Moo Deng + friends. May they live long and prosper, Buterin posted on X (formerly Twitter)
Meanwhile, a memecoin called MOODENG was launched in the same month based on its popularity. The creator of the token donated over 10 billion MOODENG tokens to Buterin.
However, the Ethereum co-founder sold these tokens stating that the proceeds would be allocated to charitable causes. Buterin has been a consistent advocate of using memecoins for positive global impact. He has previously emphasized the importance of leveraging these tokens for meaningful contributions.
Furthermore, following Buterin’s donation of 88 ETH, MOODENG’s value has soared by over 70% in the past 48 hours. The memecoin has seen a 125% increase this week. However, the donation highlights how community-driven crypto projects, often seen as speculative, can support charitable initiatives.
MOODENG Daily Price Chart. Source: TradingView
The positive side of memecoins
Another example of memecoins doing good is the story of Mira. Earlier this year, Runway founder Siqi Chen faced a personal tragedy.
Chen's four-year-old daughter, Mira, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. Although the tumor was benign, its critical location posed significant risks.
Inspired by the situation, an X user named Waddles created the MIRA memecoin on Solana, pledging half of its supply to Chen. Showing gratitude, Chen promised to donate all proceeds from the coin to research.
However, these examples highlight how memecoins, often dismissed as speculative assets, can create lasting positive impacts through collective goodwill and charitable efforts.
The article Vitalik Buterin donates 88 ETH to adopt Moo Deng; check it out was first seen on BeInCrypto Brasil.
