The origin and development of DOGE (狗狗币) combines internet culture, technological innovation, and celebrity effects, presenting a unique trajectory from a joke to a global phenomenon. Below is an overview of its key stages:
1. Origin (2013): Internet Meme and Satirical Experiment
1. The Birth of the Meme Foundation "Doge"
- The Shiba Inu Kabosu: In 2010, a photo of the Shiba Inu Kabosu, adopted by Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Satō, showing a "side-eye stare," was posted on a blog. Its amusing expression quickly became a meme in the Western community, accompanied by colorful Comic Sans font and clumsy English phrases like "such wow" and "very X," leading to viral spread.
- Cultural Symbolization: In 2013, the "Doge" meme was ranked 12th in MTV's annual pop culture events, becoming a representative of internet subculture.
2. The Birth of Cryptocurrency Satire
- Inspiration and Co-creation: In 2013, when Bitcoin surged, Adobe engineer Jackson Palmer joked on Twitter, "We should invent Dogecoin," and registered the domain name. IBM engineer Billy Markus saw this and took the initiative to contact him. Based on Litecoin's Scrypt algorithm, he modified the code in just 3 hours and launched DOGE on December 6, featuring the Kabosu avatar.
- Design Concept:
- Unlimited supply: 100 billion coins issued in the first year, followed by an annual increase of 5 billion coins (a satire on Bitcoin's scarcity).
- Democratization Positioning: Focused on "tip currency" used for rewarding on platforms like Reddit and Twitch, emphasizing "sharing rather than speculation."
2. Early Development (2014–2018): Community-Driven and Charity Breakthrough
1. Exponential user growth
- Within two weeks of its launch, relying on the Reddit community for promotion, the number of users reached 1/3 of Bitcoin, and active addresses exceeded Litecoin by 4 times. Data from 2015 shows that its Twitter following (150,000) was 1.7 times that of Bitcoin, with a market value exceeding 100 million USD.
2. Charity and Mainstream Recognition
- Significance event:
- In 2014, raised $55,000 in crowdfunding to sponsor NASCAR driver Josh Wise, bringing a Doge-themed car into the race.
- Fund the Jamaican bobsled team to participate in the Winter Olympics and donate to the Kenyan water well project.
- Commercial Applications: Twitch under Amazon, NBA's Dallas Mavericks, and others accept DOGE payments.
3. Trough and Doubt
- In 2017, China's central bank listed DOGE on the warning list for pyramid schemes, and founder Palmer exited in 2015 due to the "crazy" state of the coin circle.
- The price has fluctuated greatly multiple times (for example, it rose 1890% within 70 days in 2017 before plummeting 75%).
3. The Musk Era and the Outbreak (2019–2024): Celebrity Effect and Political Symbolization
1. Musk ignites the market
- Since 2019, Musk has referred to DOGE as his "favorite cryptocurrency" multiple times, self-styled as the "Dogecoin Father." In 2021, his tweets directly affected the price:
- January: DOGE skyrocketed 1100% in two days, entering the top five by market capitalization.
- May: He called DOGE a "scam" on "Saturday Night Live," leading to a 35% drop in price in a single day, but then announced that SpaceX would accept DOGE as payment for the "DOGE-1 moon mission."
2. Technical Ecosystem Expansion
- In 2021, the foundation was restructured, with Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin joining to promote the transition to Proof of Stake (PoS).
- Tesla and Twitter (now X platform) support DOGE payment for goods.
3. Political Symbols and Kabosu's Passing
- Key Events in 2024:
- Kabosu's passing: On May 24, the original Shiba Inu passed away (at the age of 18), and the community mourns.
- DOGE Department Established: In November, Trump appointed Musk to lead the newly established "Department of Government Efficiency" (abbreviated as DOGE), pushing the DOGE price to rise 20% in a single day, with a cumulative increase of 153% for the year.
- 2025 Extension: The DOGE sector reforms the US government in the Silicon Valley model, sparking the controversy of "Technological Leviathan".
4. Cultural Influence and Controversies
- Meme coin paradigm creator: DOGE has spawned thousands of meme coins such as Shiba Inu (SHIB), PepeCoin, forming a crypto subculture of "low barriers + community resonance."
- Legal risks: In 2022, Musk was sued for "manipulating DOGE prices" with a claim of $258 billion; multiple countries warned about its speculative nature and regulatory vacuum.
- Dual identity: both a payment tool (such as cross-border tipping) and a highly volatile speculative target, highlighting the absurdity and innovative potential of cryptocurrencies.
Summary: From Joke to Cultural Symbol
The evolution of DOGE reflects the deep integration of the crypto world with popular culture: beginning as a joke from a Shiba Inu photo, growing through charitable practices in grassroots communities, exploding with the boost of celebrity capital, and ultimately embedding itself in political and economic narratives. Its core contradiction—"joke currency" vs. hundred billion market value—becomes a metaphor for the democratization and bubbling of finance in the digital age.
The content is for reference only, not a solicitation or offer. No investment, tax, or legal advice provided. See Disclaimer for more risks disclosure.
The origin and development of DOGE (狗狗币) combines internet culture, technological innovation, and celebrity effects, presenting a unique trajectory from a joke to a global phenomenon. Below is an overview of its key stages:
1. Origin (2013): Internet Meme and Satirical Experiment
1. The Birth of the Meme Foundation "Doge"
- The Shiba Inu Kabosu: In 2010, a photo of the Shiba Inu Kabosu, adopted by Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Satō, showing a "side-eye stare," was posted on a blog. Its amusing expression quickly became a meme in the Western community, accompanied by colorful Comic Sans font and clumsy English phrases like "such wow" and "very X," leading to viral spread.
- Cultural Symbolization: In 2013, the "Doge" meme was ranked 12th in MTV's annual pop culture events, becoming a representative of internet subculture.
2. The Birth of Cryptocurrency Satire
- Inspiration and Co-creation: In 2013, when Bitcoin surged, Adobe engineer Jackson Palmer joked on Twitter, "We should invent Dogecoin," and registered the domain name. IBM engineer Billy Markus saw this and took the initiative to contact him. Based on Litecoin's Scrypt algorithm, he modified the code in just 3 hours and launched DOGE on December 6, featuring the Kabosu avatar.
- Design Concept:
- Unlimited supply: 100 billion coins issued in the first year, followed by an annual increase of 5 billion coins (a satire on Bitcoin's scarcity).
- Democratization Positioning: Focused on "tip currency" used for rewarding on platforms like Reddit and Twitch, emphasizing "sharing rather than speculation."
2. Early Development (2014–2018): Community-Driven and Charity Breakthrough
1. Exponential user growth
- Within two weeks of its launch, relying on the Reddit community for promotion, the number of users reached 1/3 of Bitcoin, and active addresses exceeded Litecoin by 4 times. Data from 2015 shows that its Twitter following (150,000) was 1.7 times that of Bitcoin, with a market value exceeding 100 million USD.
2. Charity and Mainstream Recognition
- Significance event:
- In 2014, raised $55,000 in crowdfunding to sponsor NASCAR driver Josh Wise, bringing a Doge-themed car into the race.
- Fund the Jamaican bobsled team to participate in the Winter Olympics and donate to the Kenyan water well project.
- Commercial Applications: Twitch under Amazon, NBA's Dallas Mavericks, and others accept DOGE payments.
3. Trough and Doubt
- In 2017, China's central bank listed DOGE on the warning list for pyramid schemes, and founder Palmer exited in 2015 due to the "crazy" state of the coin circle.
- The price has fluctuated greatly multiple times (for example, it rose 1890% within 70 days in 2017 before plummeting 75%).
3. The Musk Era and the Outbreak (2019–2024): Celebrity Effect and Political Symbolization
1. Musk ignites the market
- Since 2019, Musk has referred to DOGE as his "favorite cryptocurrency" multiple times, self-styled as the "Dogecoin Father." In 2021, his tweets directly affected the price:
- January: DOGE skyrocketed 1100% in two days, entering the top five by market capitalization.
- May: He called DOGE a "scam" on "Saturday Night Live," leading to a 35% drop in price in a single day, but then announced that SpaceX would accept DOGE as payment for the "DOGE-1 moon mission."
2. Technical Ecosystem Expansion
- In 2021, the foundation was restructured, with Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin joining to promote the transition to Proof of Stake (PoS).
- Tesla and Twitter (now X platform) support DOGE payment for goods.
3. Political Symbols and Kabosu's Passing
- Key Events in 2024:
- Kabosu's passing: On May 24, the original Shiba Inu passed away (at the age of 18), and the community mourns.
- DOGE Department Established: In November, Trump appointed Musk to lead the newly established "Department of Government Efficiency" (abbreviated as DOGE), pushing the DOGE price to rise 20% in a single day, with a cumulative increase of 153% for the year.
- 2025 Extension: The DOGE sector reforms the US government in the Silicon Valley model, sparking the controversy of "Technological Leviathan".
4. Cultural Influence and Controversies
- Meme coin paradigm creator: DOGE has spawned thousands of meme coins such as Shiba Inu (SHIB), PepeCoin, forming a crypto subculture of "low barriers + community resonance."
- Legal risks: In 2022, Musk was sued for "manipulating DOGE prices" with a claim of $258 billion; multiple countries warned about its speculative nature and regulatory vacuum.
- Dual identity: both a payment tool (such as cross-border tipping) and a highly volatile speculative target, highlighting the absurdity and innovative potential of cryptocurrencies.
Summary: From Joke to Cultural Symbol
The evolution of DOGE reflects the deep integration of the crypto world with popular culture: beginning as a joke from a Shiba Inu photo, growing through charitable practices in grassroots communities, exploding with the boost of celebrity capital, and ultimately embedding itself in political and economic narratives. Its core contradiction—"joke currency" vs. hundred billion market value—becomes a metaphor for the democratization and bubbling of finance in the digital age.