Vitalik Buterin ‘Adopts’ Famous Hippo Moo Deng | by Saad Jameel | The Capital | Dec, 2024

The day Vitalik Buterin determined to undertake a child hippo began like every other December morning. Who would’ve thought that the co-founder of Ethereum would find yourself falling for a tiny pygmy hippo named Moo Deng at a Thai zoo? However that’s precisely what occurred on the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.

In case you’ve been on Thai social media these days, you’ve in all probability seen Moo Deng. This lovely little hippo grew to become an web sensation, with folks sharing movies of her playful swimming and cute antics. Buterin, who’s spent a variety of time in Thailand for numerous Ethereum occasions, couldn’t assist however be charmed by her, too.

Contemporary off talking at Devcon SEA, Buterin did one thing utterly sudden. He donated a whopping 10 million baht (about $294,000) to the zoo’s Wildlife Sponsorship Program. However right here’s the most effective half — he didn’t simply write a verify. He really adopted Moo Deng, committing to assist her care and habitat enhancements for the following two years.

I really like what he wrote to the zoo — it was actually touching. He talked about how adopting Moo Deng was his means of giving again to Thailand, a rustic that had proven him a lot kindness throughout his visits. The donation was break up into two elements, with the primary cost made on December 26, 2024. For the reason that information broke, the zoo has been full of guests hoping to catch a glimpse of…