In the wild world of crypto, where memes can turn into millions overnight, a new intrigue has captured the community's attention. It all revolves around Leslie, Ethereum's quirky rhino mascot, and a meme coin that's got everyone whispering: did Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum who's famously critical of meme coins, actually launch one himself?

The story kicked off with a thread on X (formerly Twitter) from user @SalasCambuy, who pointed out some suspiciously timed events. Vitalik has long been vocal about his disdain for meme coins, often calling them out for lacking real utility. But here's the plot twist: platforms like Zora allow users to create profiles that automatically deploy a "creator coin" for free. These coins are essentially meme tokens tied to the creator's identity, and because of Zora's design, there's no direct blockchain trail leading back to who deployed it.

According to the thread, the Leslie Zora profile was created, and just two minutes later, Vitalik confirmed he'd downloaded the Zora app in a reply to a conversation involving Zora. Coincidence? The community thinks not. The ticker for this coin is $ETHMASCOT, and it's already buzzing on DexScreener.

Leslie isn't just any random character. For those new to Ethereum lore, Leslie the rhino has become a beloved symbol in the ecosystem, representing the network's strength and uniqueness. Turning it into a meme coin feels like a cheeky nod to the culture, especially if it's from Vitalik himself. The thread suggests this happened right in the middle of a chat between Vitalik and Jacob from Zora, adding to the "schizo weirdo vibes" as @SalasCambuy puts it.

Let's break down the evidence shared in the thread:

• Timestamp Sync: The Zora profile for Leslie popped up at 1:41 PM on August 11, 2025. Vitalik's tweet about downloading the app came at 2:43 PM—wait, but the thread claims it's just two minutes apart? Digging into the details, it seems the app download confirmation aligns closely with the profile creation, fueling the speculation.

• Coin Stats: On DexScreener (link to the chart), $ETHMASCOT shows over 100 holders, $164K in volume, and creator earnings of about $1,589. Total supply is a clean 1 billion tokens—standard fare for meme coins.

Community reactions are mixed, as you'd expect. Some users like @0xMapper joked about Zora "speedrunning the 'it wasn’t me' meta," while @wai_combinator called for Vitalik to confirm with a rhino image. Others dismissed it as a reach or a "free mint psyop." One reply even asked how to buy it, with @SalasCambuy recommending KyberSwap.

So, what's Zora anyway? For the uninitiated, Zora is a decentralized social network built on blockchain, where creators can monetize their content through NFTs and now these auto-deployed coins. The zero-cost deployment means anyone can spin up a token without fees, making it perfect for viral experiments—or stealth launches.

Whether Vitalik is behind this or not, it's a fun reminder of how meme coins thrive on narratives and speculation. If it is him, it could be a satirical jab at the very ecosystem he's critiqued. For now, $ETHMASCOT is trading on Base, Ethereum's layer-2 chain, and the hype is building.

If you're diving into meme coins, remember: they're high-risk, high-reward. Always do your own research (DYOR), and don't invest more than you can afford to lose. Keep an eye on Vitalik's X profile for any rhino-related hints—who knows what he'll post next?

Stay tuned to Meme Insider for more updates on this and other crypto memes shaking up the blockchain world.