Blockchain News

The Real-Life Dog Behind Memecoin DOGE is Seriously ill

Kabosu, the internet’s most famous Shiba Inu dog, is in a “dangerous position” after falling ill on Christmas Eve, according to his owner, who posted on social media.

Kabosu, the Shiba Inu dog who inspired Dogecoin and the “doge” meme, is in a “dangerous” health situation, according to her owner.

Atsuko Sat, a Japanese kindergarten teacher and Kabosu’s owner, said in a Dec. 26 Instagram post that was then shared on Twitter that the rescue dog was in a “dangerous” state, but assured her followers that the canine will be “absolutely fine” and is “getting power from all over the world” from supporters.

The news sparked an outpouring of sympathy. One well-wisher on Twitter offered to cover “any expenses required to ensure she gets the best treatment.”

Billy Markus, the co-creator of Dogecoin, asked his two million followers on December 26 to send “[love] and [prayers] and good vibes” to Sat and Kabosu.

Sat did not reveal what health issues Kabosu is dealing with, but stated in an earlier post that Kabosu has been sick since Christmas Eve, refusing to eat or drink.

It should be noted that Shiba Inu dogs have an average life expectancy of 12 to 15 years, and Kabosu just turned 17 in 2022.

Eventually, the meme’s popularity prompted Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer to create what is widely regarded as the first “meme coin,” Dogecoin, in 2013, as a joke.

Kabosu is a well-known figure in the cryptocurrency community, with Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin paying a visit to Kabosu and Sat in their Tokyo apartment in 2018.

Despite being created as a joke, Dogecoin is still extremely popular in the crypto world nearly ten years later.

According to CoinGecko data, DOGE is the eighth largest coin, with a market capitalization of nearly $10.4 billion and a volume of over $332 million in the last 24 hours.