Vitalik Buterin Proclaims Himself a “Dogecoin Hodler” at EDCON 2024
The Ethereum founder, Vitalik Buterin, kicked off his address at EDCON 2024 by revealing himself as a holder of Dogecoin. The global Ethereum community gathered in Tokyo, Japan, from July 24 to 30 for the annual Ethereum Development Conference. One of the highlights of the event was the presentations by Ethereum co-founders Joseph Lubin and Vitalik Buterin.
In a surprising twist, Buterin, slated to speak on July 30, made a dramatic entrance wearing a white horse head mask with black accents, donned in a dark kimono with loose-fitting and wide sleeves. Despite his distinctive appearance, the audience played along with the mystery, prompting Buterin to humorously announce himself as a Dogecoin holder.
Following inquiries about his identity, Buterin unmasked himself. The initial theatrics gave way to Buterin’s substantive speech, focusing on Ethereum’s projected path over the next decade. Notably, his self-introduction as a Dogecoin holder piqued the interest of attendees, shedding light on Buterin’s longstanding fondness for the original meme-based cryptocurrency.
Vitalik Buterin’s involvement with Dogecoin dates back to his early interactions with the coin. In a conversation with podcast host Lex Friedman in June 2021, Buterin shared that Dogecoin was among the first “fun coins” that captured his attention. He disclosed investing $25,000 in Dogecoin in 2016, a move that saw his investment grow to $4.3 million by June 2021, which he subsequently donated to charity.
While emphasizing the lack of fundamental rationale behind his Dogecoin investment, Buterin acknowledged it as one of his most successful financial decisions. Speculation arose in May 2022 about a potential collaboration between Buterin and Dogecoin after reports surfaced of his $1 million Ethereum donation to the Dogecoin Foundation.
In a subsequent development, Buterin donated an additional 20 million DOGE to the Dogecoin Foundation in November of the same year. Notably, he joined the advisory board of the Dogecoin Foundation in August 2021, signaling his continued interest in the project. In an interview in January 2022, Buterin discussed the prospect of assisting Dogecoin in transitioning to a Proof-of-Stake mechanism.
Despite his involvement with Dogecoin, Buterin has maintained a different stance towards Shiba Inu, Dogecoin’s main competitor, built on the Ethereum network. While he anticipated Shiba Inu to follow the trend of meme coins experiencing rapid declines post-hype, he acknowledged that SHIB surpassed his expectations.
It is important to note that the content presented is for informational purposes and should not be construed as financial advice. Readers are advised to conduct thorough research before making any investment decisions. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Crypto Basic.
