Meme coin MOODENG, inspired by a famous hippo, surges tens of thousands of times in value, reigniting the "zoo market" frenzy
TechFlow Selected TechFlow Selected
Meme coin MOODENG, inspired by a famous hippo, surges tens of thousands of times in value, reigniting the "zoo market" frenzy
The rising international internet celebrity drives the "Hippo Economy" to flourish globally, as crypto investors embrace creative gold-rush strategies, fueling a significant rebound in MEME-based economies.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Nancy, PANews
With its chubby body, ugly-cute appearance, unique name, and exaggerated expressions, Moo Deng—the baby pygmy hippo from Thailand—has taken the world by storm overnight, quickly becoming a meme-generating machine. Riding the unstoppable charm offensive of this new international internet celebrity, "hippo economics" is blossoming globally. Crypto investors are launching creative gold rushes, echoing past zoo-themed market frenzies, while giving the MEME economy a significant boost.
Recently, at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi Province, Thailand, a two-month-old pygmy hippo captured global attention through playful interactions with her zookeeper. This feisty Cancer zodiac hippo constantly acts out—trying to “eat” her caretaker, getting startled by water jets, struggling during baths and nearly falling over. These naturally meme-worthy reactions have made Moo Deng a favorite subject for remixes and viral images. She’s even been featured in TIME Magazine, with Twitter and Walmart also releasing their own Moo Deng memes.
The viral fame of Moo Deng has proven highly lucrative. According to the Bangkok Post, she attracted a surge of visitors, generating 12 million Thai baht (approximately $360,000) in revenue for the zoo during the first three weeks of September alone, drawing over 80,000 tourists. Due to the overwhelming crowds, the zoo implemented timed viewing sessions and launched a 24-hour online livestream. Additionally, the zoo is applying for copyright and trademark protection for "Moo Deng the Hippo" and has begun selling official merchandise to raise funds for improving animal welfare.
The hippo fever has also swept through the crypto world, spawning numerous namesake MEMEs. Among them, Moo Den (MOODENG) on Solana stands out as the most popular, emerging as the largest MEME coin by market cap within the Pump.fun ecosystem.
According to DEX Screener data, MOODENG surged over 28,000x from its launch price within just over two weeks. Its market cap has now surpassed $200 million, making it the seventh-largest MEME coin on Solana.
Amid this strong market performance, while some have reaped massive gains, many others have missed out or sold too early. As monitored by Lookonchain, an address starting with 5FGcB spent 9.8 SOL (about $1,331) on September 10 to purchase 38.7 million MOODENG tokens. It has since sold over 30 million, yet still holds MOODENG worth $1.33 million. According to Arkham, another trader invested $800 just four hours after MOODENG’s launch; their current holdings are now worth over $5.4 million, and they haven’t sold any yet. However, Lookonchain also reported that one address bought 19.4 million MOODENG tokens for 1.5 SOL (around $203.5), then sold them for 7.64 SOL (about $1,039), realizing a profit of $835—a 4x return. Had they held until today, their profit would have reached $2.65 million—over 13,000 times their initial investment.
Fueled by MOODENG's success, investors are now closely watching social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube for the next viral animal narrative. Animals such as the penguin (PESTO), frog (omochi), capybara (CAPY), panda (HUAHUA), and otter (DEGEN) are gaining market attention. Driven by these animal-themed trends, on-chain trading volume has surged significantly—especially on Solana.
For example, according to DEX Screener, Solana’s trading volume exceeded $960 million in the past 24 hours. The top 10 projects accounted for about $170 million, or 17.8% of total volume. Half of these top projects are animal-based MEMEs, collectively contributing over $130 million in trading volume. This indicates that animal-themed MEMEs are now the primary driver behind Solana’s transaction activity.
Ultimately, the prosperity of this viral animal economy stems not only from the viral traffic generated by internet memes but also from the fact that these animals have evolved into cultural symbols—outlets for emotional expression among young people. Creatures with distinct personalities and strong emotional resonance tend to attract devoted followings, explaining why consumers willingly pay premium prices for IPs like Moo Deng. Yet, as with all pop culture phenomena, trends shift rapidly. The underlying mechanics of their rise deserve closer scrutiny from investors.
Join TechFlow official community to stay tuned
Telegram:https://t.me/TechFlowDaily
X (Twitter):https://x.com/TechFlowPost
X (Twitter) EN:https://x.com/BlockFlow_News
PANews
