Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has once again used his influence in the crypto space for a good cause, this time donating over $500,000 in animal-themed meme coins to charity.
Buterin announced on August 15th that he had completed the donation, directing the funds to the Effective Altruism Funds’ Animal Welfare Fund.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Buterin shared the receipt for his donation of 200 Ether (ETH), valued at $532,398 as of August 14th.
The donation was the culmination of meme coins he received over the past year, many of which were sent by community members in hopes of garnering his endorsement.
Buterin’s message to the community was clear: rather than sending him these tokens, individuals should donate directly to charity.
He emphasized the importance of supporting “sophisticated public goods funding” and referenced a previous blog post where he discussed the role of meme coins in the broader crypto ecosystem.
The donation followed an unusual sequence of events. A memecoin project called Neiro Ethereum (NEIRO) sought to gain attention by involving Buterin.
After Buterin sold the tokens, the price initially plummeted by 60%, only to rebound by 200% shortly thereafter.
The project then publicly requested Buterin donate some of the proceeds to a stray dog shelter, which he did, sharing the donation receipt on X.
Buterin’s stance on meme coins has been critical, particularly when celebrities use them for self-promotion.
He has argued that the financialization of such tokens should serve a greater purpose, like promoting art, supporting open-source software, or improving healthcare.
Despite his criticism, Buterin acknowledged the value in projects like Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis’ Stoner Cats, which funded an animated show using NFTs, a venture he described as having more substance and purpose compared to most meme coins.
