The iconic Kabosu Shiba Inu dog that inspired the Doge meme and subsequent launch of Dogecoin DOGE/USD has died at the age of 18.
Tributes for the dog that inspired the community to "do only good everyday" poured in on Friday.
What Happened: After recovering from being "very dangerously" ill back in 2022, the beloved Shiba Inu passed away, according to a social media account affiliated with the dog.
Tributes are being posted for the dog who inspired several cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin and Shiba Inu SHIB/USD. The dog became an internet sensation thanks to an iconic picture that evolved into one of the most recognized memes globally.
Elon Musk is known for sharing his love for Dogecoin on social media from time to time. Early Friday morning he responded to a post about Kabosu's death.
Later in the day, Musk shared a meme from Not the Bee that featured Kabosu and Harambe, a well-known gorilla from the Cincinnati Zoo who died in 2016.
"OG Doge has ascended to heaven to be with his friend Harambe," Musk tweeted.
Dogecoin co-creator Billy Markus shared several pictures and a video of Kabosu in a tribute.
"Kabosu will live on forever in our hearts," Marcus tweeted.
Floki Inu FLOKI/USD, which is based on Musk's Shiba Inu, showed their support Friday.
"Kabosu's legacy lives on in Floki! She will be missed!" the account tweeted.
The Floki account also said they will "march on" and "continue the legacy" created by Kabosu.
The official Dogecoin account on X took time to share a tribute Friday.
"The impact this one dog has made across the world is immeasurable. She was a being who knew only happiness and limitless love. Please keep her spirit and her family in your heart, and most importantly carry her with you as your story continues," the account tweeted.
Cryptocurrency Solana SOL/USD also posted a tribute to Kabosu.
"RIP, Kabosu. So life, much success, such fluff," the account tweeted.
Own the Doge, which is the community that owns the iconic Doge meme, paid tribute on X.
"Today, we come together with heavy hearts to bid farewell to an internet legend, an embodiment of joy, and a symbol of kindness – Doge, the beloved Shiba Inu known as Kabosu. The Doge who touched millions of hearts is now one amongst the stars, wagging her tail looking down at the legacy she has left," the account tweeted.
The X account of WeRateDogs, which previously rated Kabosu, shared a touching tribute Friday and handed out a final rating.
"For her lasting legacy on internet culture, the legend Kabosu receives our highest honor, a 15/10," the account tweeted.
Related Link: From Dogecoin Meme To Twitter Icon: 5 Little-Known Things About The 18-Year-Old Crypto Canine Sensation
Why It's Important: The tweet by Musk of the meme of Harambe with Kabosu caused a brief spike in the price of Dogecoin.
The connection between Kabosu and Harambe shouldn't be a huge surprise to any who have followed Musk for years as he's a fan of both internet legends.
In 2019, Musk released a surprise rap song titled "RIP Harambe," which he joked was his finest work.
"RIP Harambe, sipping on some Bombay, we on our way to heaven, amen, amen," the song says in autotune.
Likely not a surprise to the cryptocurrency community, someone created a Harambe and Kabosu inspired coin after Musk's tweet. The coin named KabosuwifHarambe has the ticker HEAVEN built on the Solana blockchain.
Benzinga also shared that a trader who accumulated billions of the coin KABOUS throughout the year may have been "betting on the dog's death." When the coin spiked Monday, the trader sold the coin for a profit of $230,000.
Kabosu was rescued by Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato in November 2009. Sato took pictures of the dog in a random photoshoot and shared several online.
The photos eventually made their way on Reddit and the rest is history. The meme
"Never in a million years would I have imagined the impact that my photoshoot of Kabosu would have on the internet," Kabosu's owner previously wrote on Instagram.
Read Next: 2021 Was The Year Of Dogecoin: A Month By Month Retrospective With Top Stories
Photo: milan2102/Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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