Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum and a cryptocurrency billionaire, has adopted Moo Deng, a five-month-old pygmy hippopotamus residing at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand, according to the New York Post. This act of philanthropy came with a donation of approximately $290,000 to support Moo Deng's care and the zoo's educational initiatives over the next two years.
"Thank you Vitalik Buterin for joining the Wildlife Sponsorship Program and adopting Moo Deng" the Khao Kheow Open Zoo wrote in an X post on Thursday, as reported by Business Insider.
Buterin's decision to sponsor Moo Deng followed his visit to the zoo last month. "I am delighted to accept your invitation to be Moo Deng's adoptive father while she grows up and to donate to the Zoo in her name," Buterin wrote in a letter to Narongwit Chodchoy, the zoo's director, the New York Post reported.
"I very much look forward to seeing Moo Deng live long and prosper," he further expressed in the letter, India Today reported. "I was particularly excited to hear your plans for improvements to the zoo itself, especially the proposal for upgrades to the Pygmy Hippopotamus habitat," Burerin wrote, according to the New York Post.
Moo Deng, whose name means "bouncy pig" in Thai, was born on July 20, 2024, and quickly became popular on the internet due to her playful and charmingly clumsy antics, including gumming her handler with her toothless mouth and attempting a makeshift moonwalk like Michael Jackson, as reported by the New York Post.
Her popularity has boosted the zoo's attendance, with visitor numbers increasing from 98,046 in August to 159,743 in September, according to Business Insider.
In addition to the physical attendance, Moo Deng went viral online this year, captivating millions of fans and spawning a meme coin called Moo Deng (MOODENG) with a market capitalization of $273 million, Benzinga reported. The Moo Deng (MOODENG) meme coin is based on the Solana blockchain and has increased in value by approximately 368,824% since its launch in September, according to Benzinga.
Buterin has shown his philanthropic side on several occasions in the past and has sent generous amounts to animal charities around the world, The Coin Republic reported. In 2021, he donated about $1 billion in cryptocurrency assets to support COVID-19 relief efforts in India, as per The Coin Republic.
Buterin's wealth is primarily derived from his cryptocurrency holdings, and he is widely recognized for his contributions to the world of cryptocurrency, according to Business Insider.
Moo Deng's antics have not only entertained visitors but also inspired individuals globally. Molly Swindall, a New Yorker, became so enamored with Moo Deng's antics that she took multiple trips across the world in one month to visit her. "I am absolutely in love with that shiny, moist potato," Swindall, 30, told the New York Post.
According to the New York Post, the pygmy hippopotamus is native to the forests and swamps of West Africa, primarily in Liberia, with small populations in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast. It is listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List.
Buterin's donation will go toward improving Moo Deng's enclosure and other upgrades at the zoo, the New York Post reported. "We look forward to working with you over the next two years for the benefit of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo community and all our visitors!" representatives of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo wrote in a statement on Facebook, India Today reported.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.