Kabosu, the famous Shiba Inu dog behind the popular ‘Doge’ meme and inspiration for Dogecoin cryptocurrency, has sadly passed away.
Her owner, Atsuko Sato, a 62-year-old kindergarten teacher from Japan, shared the news on her blog, thanking everyone who loved Kabosu.
Kabosu was around 18 years old and was adopted by Sato. In 2010, Sato posted a photo of Kabosu with a curious expression, which later became a viral meme in 2013.
The meme featured Kabosu’s image with words expressing amazement and wonder, often in broken English.
Kabosu’s impact was immense, inspiring the creation of Dogecoin in 2013, which began as a joke, but became a top 10 most valuable cryptocurrency.
Fans include billionaire Elon Musk, while the official Dogecoin account praised Kabosu, saying she “was a being who knew only happiness and limitless love.”
According to Sato, Kabosu passed away peacefully at 7:50 a.m. while being caressed, “as if asleep.” Sato believes Kabosu was around 18 years old when she passed away.
In 2021, an NFT of Kabosu’s image sold for $4 million. She was celebrated in her hometown of Sakura, with a bronze statue unveiled earlier this year.
