• Two programmers created Dogecoin as a parody of the cryptocurrency industry in 2013.
• Kabosu, a beloved Shiba Inu, was responsible for the meme’s popularity and recently celebrated its 17th birthday.
• Recently, Kabosu has been suffering from a serious health condition.
Dogecoin, a popular cryptocurrency, has been in the news lately, not only for its surging value but also for its roots in a beloved Shiba Inu pooch. In 2013, two programmers named Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer created the cryptocurrency based on the underlying code of an existing cryptocurrency. Their objective was to make a parody on the booming cryptocurrency industry at the time, and as a result, Dogecoin became the first “meme coin.”
Kabosu, a cherished Shiba Inu dog, was mostly responsible for the meme’s popularity. The dog, who recently celebrated its 17th birthday on November 2, has its own Instagram account created by its owner, Atsuko Sato. The social media account’s photo has garnered more than 55,000 likes. Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin even visited the furry pooch and its owner in their Tokyo apartment in 2018.
Unfortunately, the real-life canine has recently been suffering from a serious health condition. Sato, a Japanese kindergarten teacher, reassured her social media followers that Kabosu will be “fine” and that she is “receiving strength from all around the world” from her fans. The typical lifespan of a Shiba Inu is between 13 and 16 years, which is significantly longer compared to many larger dog breeds. At 17, Kabosu is aging, and her health condition has been worrying her owners.
Dogecoin has come a long way since it was first created as a parody of the cryptocurrency industry. It has been embraced by the crypto community and has become a popular currency in its own right. Although Kabosu, the real-life canine behind the meme, is currently unwell, her legacy in the cryptocurrency world will live on.