Kabosu Passes Peacefully; Farewell Ceremony Set for Sunday
Kabosu, the beloved Shiba Inu who inspired the Dogecoin (DOGE) cryptocurrency and the iconic 'Doge' meme, has passed away peacefully at the age of 18. Her owner, Atsuko Sato, announced the news via her personal blog, stating that Kabosu died at 8:50 AM Taiwan time. A farewell ceremony will be held on Sunday afternoon at a flower shop in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
Sato noted that Kabosu had eaten normally the previous night but was found to have passed away in her sleep this morning. She expressed gratitude to fans who have long supported and loved Kabosu. The official Dogecoin X account posted a tribute to Kabosu shortly after the news broke.
From Rescue Dog to Global Meme: Kabosu's Legendary Life
Kabosu's story began in 2008 when Sato rescued her from a closed-down breeding farm. At the time, she was estimated to be about three years old. In October 2010, a photo of Kabosu was uploaded to the US internet forum Reddit and quickly went viral, eventually becoming the globally famous 'Doge' meme. This meme indirectly gave birth to Dogecoin, the cryptocurrency that now bears her likeness.
Kabosu remained highly influential in the crypto community. In 2022, she fell critically ill with acute cholangitis and chronic lymphomatous leukemia. Dogecoin co-founder Billy Markus called on the community to send positive energy, and Kabosu made a miraculous recovery about a week later, resuming normal eating and walking. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin even visited Sato's Tokyo apartment in 2018 to meet Kabosu in person.
Dogecoin Price Reacts as Community Mourns Meme Icon
Following the news of Kabosu's passing, Dogecoin experienced notable volatility. The price briefly surged to $0.1667 around 2 PM before retreating to $0.1581, representing a 5.1% decline over the past 24 hours. While the price fluctuated, the crypto community's primary focus was on paying respects to the meme pioneer who left an indelible mark on internet culture and digital assets.