What is Dogecoin (DOGE)?

Dogecoin is the original ‘memecoin’, with its creators aiming to build a "fun and friendly Internet currency" based on the "Doge" meme. It has gained a devoted following that includes influential figures like Elon Musk, who have pushed it into the public consciousness.

Who uses Dogecoin?

Despite starting as a joke, Dogecoin now has a number of payment integrations and is increasingly being used as money – particularly in online tipping for content creators on platforms such as Reddit and Twitter. Payment integrations include third parties like BitPay and Coinbase, while several providers of prepaid cards support Dogecoin as a funding source. Shops can also integrate directly with the Dogecoin blockchain.

Who created Dogecoin?

Dogecoin was created by software engineers Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer in December 2013. Markus, a former IBM engineer, and Palmer, an Adobe product manager, developed Dogecoin as a parody of the then-burgeoning cryptocurrency market. The cryptocurrency’s name and logo are inspired by the Shiba Inu dog meme that was popular at the time.

What is the Dogecoin Foundation?

The Dogecoin Foundation is a non-profit organisation that supports the development and promotion of Dogecoin. Founded by the cryptocurrency’s original creators, the foundation focuses on supporting community-driven initiatives and charitable causes. The foundation has been involved in various projects, including funding clean water projects and sponsoring events in the cryptocurrency space.

How does Dogecoin work?

Dogecoin operates on a Proof of Work (PoW) consensus mechanism, similar to Bitcoin. In this system, miners use computational power to solve complex mathematical puzzles, validate transactions and secure the network. Unlike Bitcoin, which has a capped supply, Dogecoin has an inflationary supply model, with new coins being issued continuously. This approach helps maintain low transaction fees and encourages its use for microtransactions and tipping.

Proof of Work (PoW)

Dogecoin's PoW mechanism is designed to ensure network security by requiring miners to solve cryptographic challenges. This process involves the competitive mining of new blocks, where successful miners are rewarded with newly minted DOGE. The network’s security and transactions rely on these miners, who ensure that transactions are valid and recorded on the blockchain.

What is the native cryptocurrency of Dogecoin?

The native cryptocurrency of the Dogecoin network is DOGE. It serves as the medium of exchange and reward within the Dogecoin ecosystem. DOGE is often used for tipping content creators, supporting charitable causes, and engaging in various online communities. Its low transaction fees and inflationary nature make it an attractive option for microtransactions and casual use.

Security incidents

Dogecoin has experienced the following security incidents:

Rab13 Vulnerabilities (March 2023)

In March 2023, a security firm discovered the Rab13 vulnerabilities in the Dogecoin codebase, which could have allowed attackers to take individual nodes offline. These flaws affected P2P communications and put over $25 billion in digital assets at risk across Dogecoin and more than 280 other networks. Source: Halborn.

The above list of incidents may not be exhaustive. As always, it’s important that you do your own research to ensure you’re comfortable with an asset’s associated risks before investing in it.

Token supply and concentration

Dogecoin has a maximum supply of 168.31 billion DOGE, with 100% in circulation as of January 2026.The top 10 wallet addresses collectively hold ~28.0 billion DOGE (~21.2% of the maximum 132 billion token supply).

Visit this external link to see the distribution among DOGE’s top token holders.