Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin makes waves with viral “meow” video
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is once again making waves in crypto circles after a clip of him kneeling in front of a four-legged robot, gesturing at it, and making what sounds like a “meow” noise went viral.
The clip features Buterin standing in front of a humanoid robot that asks him a question, to which he responds playfully with a “meow.” It went viral on X and received mixed responses from crypto community members.
While some traders and analysts laughed at the video, others were concerned about how reliant the future of Ethereum was on Buterin’s decisions.
“Now this man has ETH’s future in his hands… Meow,” crypto influencer Wendy O said, referring to the clip.
Phil Fogel, co-founder of Cork Protocol, echoed that the moment was a joke but added that much of his professional life and net worth depends on Buterin’s leadership.
Many members of the community linked the video to Ethereum’s recent struggles. Some jokingly speculated whether Buterin’s actions had some metaphysical bearing on the cryptocurrency’s future activity.
Ether drops below $2,000 amid market struggles
ETH, which is known for its high volatility, experiences massive spikes, especially if the person involved is from a high profile.
Buterin, one of the biggest names in cryptocurrency, draws lots of attention for every move he makes. The “meow” video has been no different. Within hours of going viral, social media and crypto forums teemed with speculation about any possible connection between the video and Ethereum’s market behavior.
ETH has been in a downtrend since approximately December 2021, retesting the $4,000 region in December 2024 before witnessing a collapse to a current 55% loss from that price.
According to data from CoinMarketCap, ETH is trading at $1,880 at the time of this writing, having lost 13% of its value in a month.
While some traders are worried about Ethereum’s sliding price, others see it as a massive buying opportunity.
Crypto investor Alex Becker feels the ETH network is undervalued and will yield long-term returns. He wrote on X that he couldn’t imagine that Ethereum, at a price of less than $2,000, wouldn’t generate huge returns in two years unless there was a global bear market.
Ethereum faces long-term challenges as Buterin shapes market sentiment
Outside of its short-term price action, Ethereum is dealing with much more profound structural issues that could define its long-term future. Some experts are concerned that the growth of layer-2 solutions is devaluing Ethereum’s core network.
Nic Carter, a Castle Island Ventures partner, recently observed that many of Ethereum’s most promising projects have moved to second-layer networks, which has caused the demand for main chain transactions to decline.
A further key problem to address is Ethereum’s malleable monetary policy. Ethereum’s token issuance model is more dynamic than Bitcoin’s, which has a set supply.
Carter argues that the Ethereum community is not appropriately handling concerns over excess token creation that could drain ETH’s long-term value.
These concerns should not be surprising, yet Ethereum is still one of the world’s most widely used blockchain networks, enabling decentralized applications (dApps), smart contracts, and DeFi projects.
Buterin remains a strong champion of Ethereum’s development, prodding developers and researchers alike to improve it.
At the same time, Buterin’s quirky persona also tends to sway market sentiment. His capricious acts, including a recent “meow” at a robot, can amuse the crypto industry and raise questions about Ethereum’s leadership.
This is not the first time Buterin’s antics have stirred discussions. In September 2024, at Token2049 Singapore, he blasted “cringe” crypto anthems and even sang live on stage, which received mixed reactions.