3 - 5 minute read
The internet-famous Shiba Inu dog, Kabosu, behind the iconic “doge” meme and the cryptocurrency Dogecoin, is seriously ill. Kabosu’s owner, Atsuko Satō, a Japanese kindergarten teacher, shared the news on social media on December 26th, stating that the rescue dog is in a “dangerous position” after falling ill on Christmas Eve. Satō did not disclose the specific health complications that Kabosu is facing, but mentioned that the dog has been refusing to eat or drink since Christmas Eve. The news has brought an outpouring of support from the crypto community, with Dogecoin co-creator Billy Markus asking his two million followers to send “love and prayers and good vibes” to Satō and Kabosu.
Dogecoin, which was created as a joke in 2013 by Markus and Jackson Palmer, has remained popular within the crypto world, currently ranking as the 8th largest coin with a market capitalization of nearly $10.4 billion according to CoinGecko data. The cryptocurrency saw a volume of over $332 million in the last 24 hours and was the second-most searched crypto on Google in 2022, averaging 5.85 million monthly worldwide searches. Kabosu, who celebrated her 17th birthday earlier this year, is a well-known figure in the crypto world, with Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin visiting the dog and Satō in their Tokyo apartment in 2018.
doge (kabosu) is sick 🙁 please send her and @kabosumama your ❤️ and 🙏 and good vibes ~ pic.twitter.com/8IqnYWFhWN
— Shibetoshi Nakamoto (@BillyM2k) December 26, 2022
The popularity of Dogecoin and the “doge” meme can be traced back to a picture of Kabosu from Satō’s blog in 2010, which inspired the viral meme format. Despite being created as a joke, Dogecoin has gained significant attention and adoption within the crypto industry. In recent months, the coin has seen a surge in value and popularity, fueled in part by the endorsement of Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Musk, who has been a longstanding proponent of Dogecoin, has frequently tweeted about the cryptocurrency, causing its value to fluctuate. In fact, the news of Musk’s takeover of Twitter had many Dogecoin users hopeful that he would integrate DOGE on the social media platform, causing the price to rally on the news.
While it remains unclear what the future holds for Kabosu and Dogecoin, it is clear that the internet-famous dog has made a significant impact within the crypto world. The outpouring of support and well-wishes for Kabosu’s health serves as a reminder of the strong sense of community within the crypto industry and the affection that many have for Kabosu and the “doge” meme. We hope for a speedy recovery for Kabosu and send our own love and good vibes to the beloved dog and her owner.
