Ethereum Founder Vitalik Buterin Donates Over $530,000 in “Animal Coins” to Charity

Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, recently announced his donation of over $530,000 worth of “Animal Coins” to charity.

This donation came in response to community requests after Buterin liquidated an entire portfolio of “NEIRO on Ethereum” tokens that had been gifted to him by the project team.

In his announcement on X today, Buterin disclosed that he had completed the charity request. Additionally, he donated other coins that had been gifted to him over the past year, which he described as “animal coins.” The donation went to the Effective Altruism Funds’ Animal Welfare Fund.

Furthermore, Buterin indicated that he would prefer these types of tokens to be sent directly to charitable organizations. He also emphasized the need for more complex public funding mechanisms.

Call for a New Approach to Charity Funding

In his X post, Butering cited a March 29 blog post where he highlighted the idea of issuing coins for public funding. He proposed that different groups could create and use tokens for specific causes.

For example, he suggested tokens such as AntiCancerCoin for cancer research and ClimateCoin for environmental protection. Buterin noted that the coins selected and traded by individuals could determine which causes receive financial support.

Moving into 2024, Buterin emphasized that the conversation within the crypto space had shifted towards meme coins. Although meme coins like Dogecoin have gained popularity, there is growing discomfort around their lack of contribution to meaningful causes. Buterin also pointed out that some tokens have been associated with harmful ideologies, further escalating the debate.

Solutions for Crypto and Public Goods

In response to these concerns, Buterin presented alternative approaches. He discussed charity coins as a promising concept, mentioning past attempts like “GiveWell Inu” and “Fable of the Dragon Tyrant,” which were tied to charitable efforts.

However, these initiatives faced challenges, such as inconsistent maintenance and community friction. Buterin also cited his involvement in the Dogelon Mars project, where he donated half the supply to the Methuselah Foundation, leading to a positive relationship between the charity and the memecoin community.

Additionally, Buterin proposed the development of meaningful crypto games that benefit lower-income participants. His idea builds on play-to-earn models seen in games like Axie Infinity, where lower-income players had opportunities to earn while playing. Although Axie Infinity’s success varied, Buterin’s suggestion focused on creating a system that protects vulnerable players while allowing them to engage in enjoyable experiences.

Recent Transactions For Charity Cause

Buterin’s activities in the crypto space have recently drawn attention regarding donations. Only six days ago, his wallet transferred 3,000 ETH, valued at approximately $8.05 million, to a multi-signature wallet.

While some observers speculated that this might be a donation, others noted that all signatories of the receiving wallet are linked to Buterin, raising the possibility of an internal fund reallocation.