Dogecoin Core Developer Sporklin, 'A True Shibe,' Dies Due To Cancer

Dogecoin (DOGE) core developer Sporklin died on Saturday after a hard-fought battle with cancer, the cryptocurrency’s co-creator Billy Marcus announced. Her death comes just a couple of days after April 20 was observed as "Doge Day."

What Happened: Calling Sporklin “a true shibe,” Marcus noted on Twitter that Sporklin devoted the last seven years of her life to Dogecoin in every way.

“She will be greatly missed. RIP,” Marcus said.

Sporklin devoted the last 7 years of her life to Dogecoin, in every way. Supporting the devs, educating the community, defending others with her wit and boldness. She cared greatly about integrity and lived up to her ideals. She was a true shibe.

She will be greatly missed. RIP. pic.twitter.com/Yl9k2yvYdv

— Shibetoshi Nakamoto (@BillyM2k) April 25, 2021

Dogecoin is based on the popular “Doge” Internet meme and emerged in 2013 as a parody of the frenzy surrounding some of the digital assets. The cryptocurrency was created by Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer.

Sporklin was one of the people to have stuck the longest and hold the line of development of the Shiba Inu-themed cryptocurrency. She left the Dogecoin project in February this year over disagreement on the direction the project was headed in and also apparently due to personal health reasons.

In March, Sporklin posted a note on Reddit’s r/dogecoindev subreddit, saying she no longer had any association or ties to the Dogecoin Project or the Dogecoin Core Developers and that the time had come for her “to step away.”

Due to changes in “expectations, desires and motivations” over the years, Sporklin said she felt she could no longer fit in a group in a manner that aligned with their shifting ideals.

See also: How to Buy Dogecoin (DOGE) on Webull

“Developmental groups in crypto are loosely based on agreed ideals, desires or directions. When this fractures there is friction in ways that become unproductive and unhealthy,” Sporklin had noted.

She also said her health needed to take priority.

Why It Matters: The hard work put in by Sporklin to develop Dogecoin has borne fruit. Dogecoin has come a long way from its obscure beginning to grab the mainstream spotlight this year.

The meme cryptocurrency, which has now emerged as retail investors’ darling, started to attract attention earlier this year around the time of the Reddit-community-fueled GameStop Corp. GME short squeeze.

The Shiba Inu-themed cryptocurrency skyrocketed to hit an all-time high of $0.4377 on April 16, lifted by social media buzz. Retail investors were hoping to push Dogecoin past $1 on Doge Day but didn't find success. Incidentally, 4/20 has been celebrated as a day to promote marijuana consumption.

Dogecoin is now the seventh-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, as per CoinMarketCap data. However, the altcoin has retreated significantly from the all-time high hit two weeks ago, trading 3.9% lower over 24 hours at $0.2659 at press time.

Photo by Aranami on Flickr