'Dogecoin Model' Shiba Inu 'Kabos' Crosses the Rainbow Bridge

Passed Away After Battling Illness at the Age of 17

The Shiba Inu 'Kabosu,' mascot of the most representative meme coin (trend coin) 'Dogecoin' (DOGECOIN) and beloved worldwide, has passed away at the age of 17.

Shiba Inu "Kabos," widely known as the mascot of "Dogecoin." [Image source=Instagram capture]

On the 24th, Kabosu's owner, Sato Atsuko, announced on Instagram that Kabosu had passed away. Atsuko said, "Kabosu fell into a deep sleep that morning," adding, "She felt my gentle touch and left this world peacefully without pain." She continued, "I believe Kabosu was the happiest dog in the world, and I was the happiest owner. I sincerely thank everyone who gave her so much love." Kabosu had reportedly been suffering from cholangitis and chronic lymphocytic leukemia since 2022.

Dogecoin cryptocurrency model. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kabosu was originally adopted by Atsuko from an animal shelter in 2008. In 2010, a photo of Kabosu with a puzzled expression and folded paws went viral on the internet, earning love from netizens worldwide. Netizens nicknamed her 'Doge,' derived from the intentionally awkward spelling 'Shibe doge,' a playful take on the English spelling of Shiba dog. As her fame grew, netizens created and shared various memes featuring Kabosu's face. Later, Dogecoin developers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer included Kabosu's face as the official logo of the coin they created in 2013, making her the most famous Shiba Inu in the world.

Last April, the top logo of Twitter (now X) was changed from the blue bird to the Shiba Inu, the model of Dogecoin. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, tweeted an image of the Shiba Inu showing an ID to the police and saying, "The blue bird is an old photo."
[Image source: Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

Kabosu became even more well-known when Tesla CEO Elon Musk fueled the Dogecoin craze in 2021. After acquiring Twitter (now X), Musk briefly changed the blue bird logo to Kabosu's face, the Dogecoin mascot, in April last year. When the Twitter logo was changed to Kabosu's face, Dogecoin's price surged by as much as 30%.

Following the news of Kabosu's passing, various cryptocurrency communities and fans have expressed deep condolences.