RIP Kobasu: Dog behind Elon Musk’s favourite Dogecoin is no more

Dogecoin inspiration Kobasu: Kabosu, Shiba Inu dog who became an internet sensation as face of Doge meme, has passed away. Kabosu's owner, Atsuko Sato, in his blog post wrote that his beloved dog "fell into a deep sleep" at 7:50 am on May 24. Kobasu was over 17 years old. 

A farewell party is scheduled for Sunday at Flower Kaori in Kotsu no Mori, Narita City, from 1 pm to 4 pm (JST).

"We will be holding a farewell party for Kabo-chan on Sunday, May 26th. It will be held at Flower Kaori in Kotsu no Mori, Narita City, from 1 pm to 4 pm," blog post res.

Global popularity as meme

Kabosu rose to fame in 2010 when photos of her went viral, leing to creation of Doge meme. Kabosu’s meme gained popularity in late 2013, earning title of Know Your Meme's "top meme" of that year. Shiba Inu h a significant presence in popular culture during this period.

meme's immense popularity even inspired launch of Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency introduced in 2013 with Kabosu's image as its logo. Originally intended as a joke, Dogecoin's success led to emergence of several or dog-med cryptocurrencies.

Or popular dog-med cryptocurrencies include Shiba Inu, dogwifhat, Bonk, Floki Inu, Baby Dogecoin, and Dogelon Mars. 

In April of last year, Elon Musk temporarily changed Twitter's logo to an image of Kabosu, causing a substantial rise in Dogecoin's value. Musk has been a vocal supporter of meme-based cryptocurrency.

Kabosu was diagnosed with cholangiohepatitis and chronic lymphoma leukaemia in 2022. Her passing marks end of an era for meme enthusiasts and cryptocurrency community.