Vitalik Buterin Donates $300K to Thai Zoo, Adopts Viral Pygmy Hippo Behind Moo Deng Meme Coin

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As a seasoned analyst with years of experience observing the intersection of technology and philanthropy, I find Vitalik Buterin’s latest move to be both inspiring and strategic. His decision to donate a significant sum to Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo, particularly in support of Moo Deng, a meme-inspired pygmy hippo, is an innovative approach to bridging the gap between crypto and conservation efforts.

Vitalik Buterin, one of Ethereum‘s co-founders, has promised approximately $300,000 to Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo and is now acting as a foster father for Moo Deng, the pygmy hippo that sparked the popular MOODENG meme coin trend.

Vitalik Buterin’s holiday contribution is intended for enhancing the zoo’s infrastructure and aiding its Wildlife Sponsorship initiative.

Crypto Meets Conservation

In a correspondence sent to the director of Khao Kheow, I expressed my enthusiasm about our encounter, having been deeply moved by your facility’s dedication to animal welfare and community engagement during my recent visit. I extend my gratitude for the warm welcome I received and emphasized Moo Deng’s distinctive role as a cultural ambassador representing Thailand. As a crypto investor, I found this experience enriching beyond financial investments.

Vitalik Buterin commended the animal sanctuary’s initiatives and emphasized the significance of enhancing the living conditions for pygmy hippos. Moreover, he expressed gratitude towards Thailand’s warm welcome to the Ethereum community, particularly during Devcon SEA in Bangkok last November.

As an analyst, I’m sharing that a 30-year-old individual pledged to contribute at least 10 million baht, equivalent to around $300,000, in Moo Deng’s honor. This donation will be divided into two installments, with the first one delivered on December 26th, and the date for the second installment yet to be announced. Furthermore, this generous individual, known as Buterin, has also promised an additional 88 ETH to consistently support the zoo’s ongoing projects.

Previously, the organization expressed gratitude towards the Ethereum developer on X platform, referring to him as “a foster father to Moo Deng.” In response, he echoed his excitement about the role and referenced a well-known quote from Star Trek: “May they have a long and prosperous life.

Market Performance

Moo Deng, who is well-known and cherished in Thailand, became recognized worldwide as the image on the MOODENG digital currency coin. Despite the ups and downs in the cryptocurrency market, the token continues to attract interest within the crypto community.

Currently, it’s being traded at $0.2693, and over the past 24 hours, a total volume of $179.7 million has been exchanged. This is a significant 50.3% increase in trading activity compared to the day before.

Despite dropping 3.2% in value during the last day, this token managed to increase by 6.1% over the past week, surpassing the overall crypto market’s 1.2% decrease within the same timeframe.

Previously, Vitalik Buterin had sold off more than a million dollars’ worth of meme tokens that were donated to him, such as 10 billion MOODENG. The money generated from this sale was then donated to different charitable organizations.

It’s worth noting that he has been quite vocal about his criticisms towards the meme coin market, specifically pointing out an issue with the increase of celebrity-endorsed tokens. Instead, he suggests that these coins would be more beneficial if they were tied to a public purpose, such as advocating for a particular cause, or if they offered engaging features beyond simple trading.

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2024-12-28 01:30