Dogecoin's logo traces back to a single snapshot posted on a personal blog in Japan. The dog in the picture, a Shiba Inu named Kabosu, became one of the best-known faces of the internet and l
Dogecoin's logo traces back to a single snapshot posted on a personal blog in Japan. The dog in the picture, a Shiba Inu named Kabosu, became one of the best-known faces of the internet and later of the crypto market.
Kabosu lived in Sakura, Japan. Her owner, Atsuko Sato, adopted her in 2008, rescuing her from a puppy mill after the business closed down and Kabosu was abandoned with 19 other Shiba dogs. Sato was a kindergarten teacher.
In 2010, two years after adopting Kabosu, Sato took a picture of her pet crossing her paws on the sofa. She posted the image on her blog, from where it spread to the online forum Reddit and became a meme. Meme-makers added rainbow Comic Sans text over Kabosu's side-eyed look and crossed-paws pose, using short, broken phrases like "much wow" or "such happy." The format became known as "Doge."
Dogecoin was introduced on December 6, 2013. Software engineers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer launched the satirical cryptocurrency as a way to make fun of Bitcoin and the many other cryptocurrencies boasting grand plans to take over the world. Dogecoin features the face of Kabosu from the "doge" meme as its logo and namesake.
The joke coin outlasted its origins. It quickly developed its own online community, reaching a peak market capitalization of over US$85 billion on May 5, 2021. NPR reported that the coin jumped in value years later after Elon Musk, then the world's richest person and a champion of Dogecoin, tweeted about it. In 2023, @elonmusk briefly swapped Twitter's bird logo for the Doge image.
Kabosu's fame also reached beyond crypto. The picture later became an NFT digital artwork that sold for $4 million. Sakura has used the doge image on manhole covers, and a bronze statue of Kabosu was unveiled in 2024, paid for by donations from fans around the world.
Sato said Kabosu died on Friday, May 24, 2024. As a rescue dog, Kabosu's real birthday was unknown, but Sato estimated her age at 18. The @dogecoin account also marked her death, calling her an inspiration.
The story is a reminder of how a casual pet photo, shared without any commercial intent, can end up anchoring a market with a multibillion-dollar peak valuation.
Rolling Stone: Kabosu, Shiba Inu Who Became Face of 'Doge' Meme, Dead at 18
NPR: The Shiba Inu that inspired Dogecoin crypto and countless memes has died
Gulf News (AFP): Japanese dog Kabosu, the face of Dogecoin, dies at 18
