Key Takeaways:
Kabosu, the real-life Shiba Inu who became the inspiration for the popular internet meme “Doge” and the legendary meme cryptocurrency – Dogecoin (DOGE), passed away peacefully at her home in Japan on May 24th. She was believed to be around 18 years old at the time of death.
Shiba Inu who was the Face of DOGE and SHIB Tokens has Passed Away
Her owner, Atsuko Sato, confirmed the news with a post on her Instagram page and the official Doge blog, where she expressed her deep gratitude for the love and support shown by Kabosu over the years.
The crypto community and fans of Doge and Dogecoin expressed their condolences, sharing tributes and some of their favorite memories of the Shiba Inu that became an internet sensation.
On the official Doge blog, Sato said there would be a farewell party held for “Kabo-Chan” at Flower Karori in Kotsu no Mori, Narita City, on May 26th.
How the “Doge” Meme Evolved
According to the Know Your Meme website, Kabosu first gained attention in 2010 when Sato posted pictures of her adopted dog on a blog. There was one particular image of Kabosu with a skeptical and curious expression that quickly went viral, giving birth to the infamous “Doge” meme.
The image, captioned with interior monologues in Comic Sans font and the misspelled word “Doge”, became a cornerstone of the internet meme culture. The popularity of the meme skyrocketed in 2013 after the founding of Dogecoin – a meme coin backed by Elon Musk that features Kabosu’s face as its official logo.
Despite starting out as a fun-intended token, DOGE quickly developed into a hugely popular cryptocurrency supporting charitable initiatives such as clean water projects and funding of the Jamaican bobsled team.
Dogecoin was instrumental in normalizing meme coin culture in the crypto space, resulting in the rise of some of the most popular meme tokens. Kabosu, who inspired the original Doge meme, was adopted as the mascot for many meme coins that hit the market later, including Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Solana-based Bonk (BONK).
The original image that inspired the Doge meme was minted as an NFT in 2023. The digital collectible was sold for 1,696 ETH, worth approximately $4 million at the current rate. The NFT has since been divided into billions of smaller, tradable units for fractional ownership by the Dogecoin community.
Elon Musk and Dogecoin Co-Founder Shares Their Tributes to Kabosu
The Doge meme and Dogecoin have some world-renowned fans, including billionaire Elon Musk, who in 2023 temporarily changed the logo of X – formerly Twitter – to the Dogecoin icon.
Following Kabosu’s passing, Musk shared a meme on the social media platform showing Kabo-Chan being embraced by an angel-winged Harambe – the late gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo who also inspired an internet meme, as he ascended to heaven to be with his other friends.
In December 2022, Sato informed the Doge community that Kabosu had been diagnosed with chronic lymphoma leukemia, a type of cancer that inflames the liver and surrounding area.
Kabosu’s dangerous health position sparked overwhelming support from the crypto community. Dogecoin co-founder Billy Markus, fondly known as Shibetoshi Nakamoto, asked his followers to support Kabosu by any means necessary, leading to one X user offering to cover any expenses that were needed to get her the “best treatment”.
The official X page of the Shiba Inu (SHIB) token, a main rival to Dogecoin (DOGE), posted a heartfelt tribute underscoring Kabosu’s impact on the internet and crypto communities. They shared the tweet by Atsuko Sako announcing Kabosu’s passing.
Kabosu’s legacy as the face of the internet and crypto meme culture continues to symbolize the spirit of togetherness and will inspire future generations of meme enthusiasts.
Rest easy Kabosu, you did great and were the best girl.
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