
Uncovering the Origins of the Viral Doge Meme: The Story of the Dogecoin Dog
Dogecoin is a popular cryptocurrency known for its light-hearted approach and use of the Doge meme in its branding. The Doge meme is based on a photograph of a female Shiba Inu named Kabosu, owned by Atsuko Sato from Japan. The Doge meme became popular in 2013 and has remained an important part of internet culture. Dogecoin itself was launched in December 2013 and used the Doge image extensively in its branding. A passionate community formed around Dogecoin, often using it to raise money for charities and other initiatives. Today, Dogecoin is accepted as a payment option at some merchants and is primarily used for price speculation on cryptocurrency exchanges.
In 2021, Atsuko Sato minted the set of Doge photos as NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain, and the most iconic image was sold to PleasrDAO for $4.8 million. PleasrDAO split ownership of the NFT into DOG tokens, representing a small portion of the original Doge NFT. Holders of DOG tokens are eligible for membership in a decentralized autonomous organization called DAOGE. As of March 2023, Kabosu is still alive, although her health has declined due to leukemia and liver disease.
The enduring popularity of the Doge meme is in part due to Dogecoin’s popularity and the attention it has received from billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Those interested in buying Dogecoin can explore the pros and cons of it as an investment, or they can buy DOG tokens to own a small piece of the original Kabosu photograph. There are also many other meme coins on the cryptocurrency market inspired by the Doge meme.