澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网

Cryptocurrency Dogecoin (DOGE): What It Is, History, and Uses

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What Investors Need to Know About Altcoins
Dogecoin

Investopedia / Laura Porter

What Is Dogecoin (DOGE)?

Dogecoin (DOGE) is a peer-to-peer, open-source cryptocurrency. It is considered an altcoin and was launched in December 2013 with the image of a Shiba Inu dog named Kabosu as its logo. Dogecoin's blockchain has merit with its underlying technology derived from Litecoin. Notable features of Dogecoin—which uses the Scrypt algorithm (pronounced ess-crypt)—are its low price and unlimited supply.

Important

Not to be confused with the cryptocurrency Dogecoin (DOGE), the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is an agency proposed by Donald Trump after his re-election as President. The department will be headed by billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will focus on reducing wasteful government spending. There is also a meme coin called The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that should not be confused with Dogecoin.

Key Takeaways

  • Dogecoin is an open-source cryptocurrency established in 2013 by Jackson Palmer and Billy Markus.
  • Dogecoin features a Shiba Inu, a Japanese dog breed, as its logo.
  • It is based on Litecoin and uses the same proof-of-work technology.
  • Dogecoin has a loyal community of supporters who trade it and use it as a tipping currency for social media content.

History of Dogecoin

Jackson Palmer, a product manager at the Sydney, Australia, office of Adobe Inc., created Dogecoin with Billy Markus, a software developer at IBM. The intent behind the cryptocurrency was to be a way to satirize the hype surrounding cryptocurrencies.

2013–2014

Palmer and Markus launched the coin on Dec. 6, 2013. By Dec. 19, the value of Dogecoin jumped 300%, bolstered by China's policy to forbid its banks from investing in cryptocurrency. Markus and Palmer based Dogecoin's code on Luckycoin, derived from Litecoin (a Bitcoin fork). Initially, they used a randomized block mining reward, but that was changed to a static reward in March 2014. Dogecoin uses Litecoin's Scrypt technology and uses 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:proof-of-work (PoW) on its blockchain.

2015–2024

In the summer of 2019, Dogecoin enthusiasts celebrated when the crypto exchange Binance listed the coin. As of May 2024, Dogecoin's market capitalization was nearly $24.39 billion. Dogecoin's infrastructure is slowly gaining traction with fans and developers and continues to operate and trade due to its active community of miners.

In May 2024, Kabosu, the dog behind the 'doge' internet meme, died. The dog’s owner, Atsuko Sato, is a kindergarten teacher from Sakura, Japan. The event led many, including Dogecoin enthusiast Elon Musk, to tweet about the dog's passing.

Fast Fact

Dogecoin surpassed a $1 billion market capitalization for the first time in the crypto bull run of 2017 to 2018.

Concerns About Dogecoin

Dogecoin, with beginnings as a memecoin and no blockchain utility other than existing, has an established following who argue—with a fair amount of validity—that their crypto does indeed have utility based on how it has been used. Blockchain and cryptocurrency use cases are often associated with longevity and value, so there are those who claim that the cryptocurrency has no utility. These concerns likely have some influence on Dogecoin's market price.

However, the community and active developers argue otherwise. Some of their claims for proof of utility are:

  • It is used as money, based on a history of tipping and donations for charities and humanitarian initiatives.
  • Many online retailers accept it as payment.
  • It stores value.
  • Development continues.

There doesn't appear to be any other Dogecoin uses as of (December 2023) besides blockchain fees, which are very low compared to Bitcoin's and Ethereum's.

But to be fair, Bitcoin didn't have much utility initially, either. It was a payment method, just like Dogecoin. Bitcoin's blockchain has been improved, and layers have been built that give it more uses, but the same can be said of Dogecoin. S⭕o, if Bitcoin has utility, it stands to reason that Dogecoin🐈 also does.

Dogecoin vs. Bitcoin

Dogecoin marketed itself as a "fun" version of Bitcoin with a Shibu Inu dog as its logo. Dogecoin's casual presentation suited the mood of the burgeoning crypto community. Its Scrypt algoritꩵhm and unlimited supply were an argument for a faster, more adaptable, and more consumer-friendly version of Bitcoin.

Dogecoin is considered an "inflationary coin," while cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:deflationary because there's a ceiling on the number of coins that will be created. Every four years, the amount of Bitcoin released into circulation via mining rewards is halved, and its ܫinfla𒉰tion rate is halved along with it until all coins are released.

Will Dogecoin Reach $1?

It's difficult to predict what markets will do. DOGE could reach $1, but it is just as possible that it will lose value.

What Is Dogecoin Used for?

You can spend your Dogecoin with any merchant that chooses to accept it. Many different types of businesses accept DOGE including Elon Musk's SpaceX and the Dallas Mavericks. Many Dogecoin holders use their DOGE to tip content creators on Reddit and other social media platforms.

How High Can DOGE Realistically Go?

The future market prices are difficult for anyone to predict. It depends on market conditions, cryptocurrency developments, and🎉 investor an💟d user sentiments.

The Bottom Line

Dogecoin (DOGE) is a peer-to-peer, 澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果体彩网:open-source cryptocurrency established in 2013. Originally created as somewhat of a joke about cryptocurrency, the token became fairly popular with cryptocurrency fans. The community and developer humor included in the project adds to its appeal and is probably what has made it l🤪ast longer than many other cryptocurrencies.

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