Farewell to Kabosu: The Beloved Doge Meme Icon Leaves a Lasting Legacy in Crypto and Beyond

2024-06-05, 06:46

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## [TL; DR]
Kabosu, the dog whose image is <a href="/price/dogecoin-doge" target="_blank" class="blog_inner_link">Dogecoin</a>’s logo, died on 24 May.

The death of Kabosu has left a legacy of solidarity and crypto philanthropy.

In the past few years, Dogecoin has witnessed an inflow of institutional capital which has created hope for the growth of the meme coin market.

## Introduction
Although Dogecoin had a humble history it has grown to become one of the leading cryptocurrencies in the memecoin category. It has attracted the attention of a large community that has been enticed about its origin. Developed by Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer in 2023 as a light-hearted alternative to <a href="/price/bitcoin-btc" target="_blank" class="blog_inner_link">Bitcoin</a>, [Dogecoin](https://www.gate.io/price/dogecoin-doge "Dogecoin") has transformed into a leading cryptocurrency and a pioneering memecoin. This article explores the history of [Kabosu](https://www.gate.io/price/kabosu-kabosu "Kabosu"), the dog that inspired the creation of Dogecoin.

## Kabosu: From an Adopted Rescue Dog to an Iconic Face of the Doge Meme
The account of how Kabosu, a rescue dog, [became an internet sensation](https://www.gate.io/how-to-buy/kabosu--arbitrum--kabosu "became an internet sensation") begins on a sad note. The reason is that Kabosu, the Shibu Inu dog, died on 24 May. However, her legacy will exist for a long time if not for eternity. Let’s focus on Kabosu’s fascinating story that has united meme lovers globally.

It all started when Ms Sato, a teacher from Sakura, east of Tokyo, adopted Kabosu in 2008. Two years later, Ms Sato posted some pictures of Kabosu on her blog. However, in 2010 a cute picture of Kabosu, showing a curious but a sceptical expression, went viral and gave rise to the Kabosu Doge meme.

The picture of Kabosu, captured while crossing her paws on a sofa, spread to many online platforms including Reddit. As a result, the image was turned into a meme one could find in homes and offices. Kabosu’s image, accompanied by a short phrase in broken English and Comic Sans font changed the face of the internet.

Once it captured the attention of many meme lovers the picture was developed into an NFT that went viral as well, generating more than $4m (£3.1m). The same picture also inspired Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer, two software engineers, to create [Dogecoin (DOGE)](https://www.gate.io/learn/articles/what-is-dogecoin/36 "Dogecoin (DOGE)"), currently the eighth largest meme coin by market capitalization. When Kabosu’s image was used as Dogecoin logo its popularity increased.

Fast forward to 2022, Kabosu fell ill from liver disease and leukaemia. By the end of that year when she was seriously ill Ms Sato informed the Dogecoin community about Kabosu’s precarious health condition. She even asked for prayers for the dog which eventually became the crypto community tribute to Kabosu. Interestingly, the crypto community reacted to Ms Sato’s plea. For example, Billy Markus, also popularly [known as Shibetoshi Nakamoto](https://www.gate.io/blog_detail/2147/the-biggest-names-in-the-crypto-space-who-created-cryptocurrency "known as Shibetoshi Nakamoto"), asked his followers to offer financial support towards Kabosu’s medical expenses. In the end, one user promised to cover all the expenses.

## Kabosu's Serene Goodbye: A Global Tribute to the Beloved Doge
As alluded to above, Kabosu died on 24 May this year, something that has disheartened many Dogecoin enthusiasts. Ms Atsuko Sato, a 62-year-old kindergarten teacher, informed the crypto community about the death of the world renowned dog. In response, many members of the crypto community expressed their condolences for the 18 year old Kabosu, a dog that has left a Dogecoin legacy and  the crypto culture of unity and generosity.

## From Meme to Movement: Kabosu's Image Sparks Dogecoin's Rise and Charitable Impact
Kabosu’s internet influence extended beyond the Dogecoin community. It has influenced political campaigns and charitable movements. One of the important things the crypto community did was to honour Kabosu through a statue. In November 2023 Own The Doge, a crypto organisation committed to meme coins, crowd-funded over $100,000 to erect a statue that honours Kabosu in a park in Sakura.

Apart from honouring Kabosu, Own The Doge donated funds to various international charities. For example, the organization donated more than $1m to Save the Children, a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) for children.  For context, Save the Children fights for the rights of disadvantaged children through the provision of basic facilities and services like education, shelter and food. In its “thank you message”  Save the Children mentioned that it was the largest crypto donation it has ever received.

Similarly, in 2014 Own The Doge also donated funds to the Doge4Water campaign towards the provision of safe and clean water to communities in need. The organization also financially supported the Jamaican bobsled team, a gesture well-received by the community.

More significantly, early last year Own The Doge, with the support of Doge DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) focused on the DOGE meme coin, organized a trip for Kabosu fans to travel to Sakura to meet Kabosu. These are not the only charitable missions the Doge community has organized. It has also contributed funds to other charitable initiatives, including community projects, disaster relief missions and sporting events.

Read also: [Is It Too Late to Buy Dogecoin in 2024?](https://www.gate.io/learn/articles/is-it-too-late-to-buy-dogecoin-in-2024/2853 "Is It Too Late to Buy Dogecoin in 2024?")

## Examining Kabosu's Broader Impact on Internet Culture
No doubt, the effect of Kabosu’s image penetrated various social and economic strata on the internet. The Kabosu meme did not only inspire the development of Dogecoin but many other dog-themed meme coins including <a href="/price/shiba-inu-shib" target="_blank" class="blog_inner_link">Shiba Inu</a> (SHIB) and [Floki (FLOKI)](https://www.gate.io/learn/articles/what-is-floki/550 "Floki (FLOKI)"), creating a community of like-minded people. The inspiration of Kabosu’s image led to a new meme culture based on strong solidarity and common aspirations.

Community [members of the meme coin market](https://www.gate.io/learn/articles/what-is-meme-coin/92 "members of the meme coin market") have developed the ability to leverage humour towards promoting their various digital tokens like Floki, SHIB and Dogecoin on different social media platforms, especially Twitter and Reddit. Also, they have developed resilience to ensure the success of their common objectives such as value growth of specific memecoins. It is such a culture that has helped PEPE memecoin, Bonk and Dogwifhat to grow significantly within a short period.

As said earlier on, Dogecoin philanthropy has impacted various sectors including the sporting field. The underlying aspect of the meme culture that emanated from the development of Dogecoin and other dog-themed tokens is that of generosity and community support. This is the reason why the Dogecoin community has been making donations to charitable organizations. The community members also support each other through various means including promoting other people’s content through tipping it on social media like Reddit.

Read also: [Dogecoin: Why is Vitalik Buterin Against it?](https://www.gate.io/blog_detail/86/dogecoin-why-is-vitalik-buterin-against-it-will-scaling-increase-its-popularity "Dogecoin: Why is Vitalik Buterin Against it?")

## Impact on Dogecoin (DOGE) Price
The Kabosu impact was also evident in the meme coin market as the price of some dog-themed memecoins dropped following the news of her death. As an example, the [Dogecoin's price dipped](https://www.gate.io/price-prediction/dogecoin-doge "Dogecoin's price dipped") by more than 5% within a 24-hour period to trade at $0.1535. However, we have already witnessed a Dogecoin surge since the meme coin is trading at $0.1614. Similarly, the value of Shiba Inu plunged by around 5.5% during the same period. These price movements indicate the deep connection between the sentiment surrounding Kabosu and the values of the related memecoins.

## The Future of Dogecoin and Meme Culture
In the early days only retail [investors put their funds in Dogecoin](https://www.gate.io/blog_detail/265/how-to-buy-dogecoin-on-gate.io-buy-doge "investors put their funds in Dogecoin") and other meme coins as institutions were not comfortable about their high volatility. However, in previous years we have seen a rise in institutional interest in Dogecoin.

Although Doge has not received as much institutional investment as ETH or BTC the trend shows a rise in funds <a href="/price/flow-flow" target="_blank" class="blog_inner_link">Flow</a> from such sources. This also shows an acknowledgement of the meme coin market. With this in mind, we expect to see more capital inflow into the market than before.

## Conclusion
On 23 May 2024 the meme coin community bade farewell to Kabosu which died at the age of 18 years. However, the dog has left a legacy of unity and solidarity among members of the meme coin community. The price of several leading meme coins dropped when the news of Kabosu’s death reached the market. In the meantime, the future of meme coins remains bright as they have witnessed an inflow of institutional capital.

<div class="blog-details-info">
<div>Author:**Mashell C.**, Gate.io Researcher
<div class="info-tips">\*This article represents only the views of the researcher and does not constitute any investment suggestions.
<div>\*Gate.io reserves all rights to this article. Reposting of the article will be permitted provided Gate.io is referenced. In all cases, legal action will be taken due to copyright infringement.
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