Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has adopted Moo Deng, a viral pygmy hippopotamus, through a generous donation of 10 million THB (approximately 88 ETH or $292,000) to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand. Moo Deng gained fame for her expressive personality and engaging social media presence, leading to considerable attention and even the creation of a Solana-based memecoin inspired by her. Buterin expressed his happiness in becoming the adoptive father of Moo Deng, implying that he may increase his support beyond the initial donation. The memecoin associated with Moo Deng saw dramatic trading activity, with traders having a mixed experience; while some achieved significant gains, many others incurred substantial losses as the token rapidly declined in value following its peak. Despite the risks of memecoin trading, the ongoing interest in Moo Deng highlights the intersection of wildlife, social media, and cryptocurrency investment trends.

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