Kabosu, the famous Shiba Inu known for being the face of the Doge meme, has sadly passed away. Atsuko Sato, Kabosu’s owner, announced the news, stating that Kabosu “fell into a deep sleep” at 7:50 am on May 24. A farewell gathering is planned for Sunday at Flower Kaori in Kotsu no Mori, Narita City, from 1 pm to 4 pm.
Kabosu rose to fame in 2010 when images of her went viral online, leading to the creation of the Doge meme. The meme became incredibly popular and even inspired the creation of Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency launched in 2013 with Kabosu’s image as its logo. Originally started as a joke, Dogecoin’s success spurred the development of numerous other dog-themed cryptocurrencies.
In April last year, Elon Musk briefly changed Twitter’s logo to an image of Kabosu, which resulted in a surge in Dogecoin’s value. Musk has been a vocal supporter of the meme-based cryptocurrency.
Kabosu had been diagnosed with cholangiohepatitis and chronic lymphoma leukemia in 2022. Her passing marks the end of an era for meme enthusiasts and the cryptocurrency community.