Moo Deng just got an adoptive father — Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin

• Celebrity hippo Moo Deng has found itself a wealthy benefactor.

• Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin donated nearly $294,000 to Moo Deng's zoo.

• Buterin said in an X post on Thursday that he was happy to be Moo Deng's adoptive father.

Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin, 30, is now the adoptive father of Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo from Thailand that went viral online this year.

The crypto entrepreneur made a $10 million Thai baht, or nearly $294,000, donation to Khao Kheow Open Zoo, which Moo Deng calls home.

"Thank you Vitalik Buterin for joining the Wildlife Sponsorship Program and adopting Moo Deng with a generous gift of 10,000,000 THB for her family!" the zoo wrote in an X post on Thursday, which attached a letter from Buterin.

The baby hippo was born in July and quickly took over the internet with its playful and cute antics.

Moo Deng, whose name means "bouncy pig," has also become a visitor magnet for the zoo which has seen increased ticket sales due to its presence.

The zoo's director, Narongwit Chodchoy, told the Bangkok Post in an interview in September that interest in Moo Deng drove visitor numbers up by 50%.

In his letter to the zoo, Buterin said that the donation was an expression of his gratitude for the hospitality he received while attending Ethereum-related events in Thailand, including November's Devcon SEA.

"What better way to do that than through a Christmas present to someone who is dear to all Thai people, Moo Deng, and who has become one of the most unexpected and important Thai celebrities on the world stage," Buterin wrote in his letter.

Buterin said in his letter that the donation would be split into two payments of 5 million Thai baht each. The first donation was made on Thursday, while the second donation will be made within a year.

"I'm happy to be adoptive father to Moo Deng as she grows up over the next 2y and support her with my 10M THB donation," Buterin wrote in an X post on Thursday, adding that he had set aside 88 ether for the cause.

"May they live long and prosper," he added.

It is unclear what Buterin's net worth is. The Russian-born Canadian programmer's wealth is primarily derived from his cryptocurrency holdings. Buterin said in an X post in May 2022 that he was no longer a billionaire.

That said, Buterin isn't the only crypto enthusiast with an interest in the celebrity hippo.

In September, a crypto meme token based on Moo Deng started trading on the Solana network. At its peak in November, the crypto token had a market value of over $614 million, according to data from CoinMarketCap.

Representatives for the Khao Kheow Open Zoo and Buterin did not respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.

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