The origin and development of DOGE (Dogecoin) intertwine internet culture, technological innovation, and celebrity effect, presenting a unique trajectory from a satirical joke to a global phenomenon. Below are the key stages outlined:

I. Origin (2013): Internet Meme and Satirical Experiment

1. The Birth of the Meme-based 'Doge'

- Prototype Shiba Inu Kabosu: In 2010, a Shiba Inu named Kabosu, adopted by Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato, had a photo of her 'side-eyeing' posted on a blog, and her comical expression quickly became a meme in Western communities, paired with colorful Comic Sans font and awkward English phrases like 'such wow' and 'very X,' resulting in viral spread.

- Cultural Symbolization: In 2013, the 'Doge' meme was ranked 12th by MTV as the year's pop culture event, becoming a representative of internet subculture.

2. The Birth of Cryptocurrency Satire

- Inspiration and Co-creation: In 2013, when Bitcoin soared, Adobe engineer Jackson Palmer joked on Twitter, 'We should invent Dogecoin,' and registered the domain. IBM engineer Billy Markus saw this and proactively contacted him, modifying code based on Litecoin's Scrypt algorithm in just 3 hours, launching Dogecoin on December 6 with a Kabosu avatar as its logo.

- Design Concept:

- Infinite Supply: 100 billion coins were issued in the first year, with an annual increase of 5 billion coins thereafter (satirizing Bitcoin's scarcity).

- Populist Positioning: Marketed as a 'tip currency' for use on platforms like Reddit and Twitch, emphasizing 'sharing rather than speculation.'

II. Early Development (2014–2018): Community Driven and Charitable Breakthrough

1. Explosive User Growth

- Within two weeks of launch, relying on the Reddit community for spread, the user count reached one-third of Bitcoin's, with active addresses exceeding Litecoin by four times. Data from 2015 showed its Twitter followers (150,000) were 1.7 times that of Bitcoin, with a market cap exceeding $100 million.

2. Charity and Mainstream Recognition

- Iconic Events:

- In 2014, raised $55,000 to sponsor NASCAR driver Josh Wise, bringing a Doge-themed car into the race.

- Funded the Jamaican bobsled team to participate in the Winter Olympics and donated to a well project in Kenya.

- Commercial Applications: Amazon's Twitch, NBA's Dallas Mavericks and others accept DOGE payments.

3. Low Points and Doubts

- In 2017, China's central bank included DOGE in a warning list of pyramid schemes, and founder Palmer exited due to 'crazy crypto market' in 2015.

- Prices experienced multiple ups and downs (e.g., a 1890% increase in 70 days in 2017 followed by a 75% drop).

III. Musk Era and Explosion (2019–2024): Celebrity Effect and Political Symbolization

1. Musk Ignites the Market

- Since 2019, Musk has repeatedly referred to DOGE as his 'favorite cryptocurrency,' self-proclaiming as the 'Dogecoin Father.' In 2021, his tweets directly influenced prices:

- January: DOGE surged 1100% in two days, entering the top five in market capitalization.

- May: He called DOGE a 'scam' on (Saturday Night Live), causing a 35% drop in price in one day, but later announced SpaceX would accept DOGE payments for the 'DOGE-1 lunar mission.'

2. Technological Ecosystem Expansion

- 2021 Foundation restructuring: Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin joins, promoting the transition to Proof of Stake (PoS).

- Tesla and Twitter (now X platform) support DOGE payments for goods.

3. Political Symbols and the Passing of Kabosu

- Key Events of 2024:

- Passing of Kabosu: On May 24, the original Shiba Inu passed away (at age 18), and the community mourned.

- DOGE department established: In November, Trump appointed Musk to lead the newly created 'Department of Government Efficiency' (abbreviated as DOGE), pushing DOGE's price to rise 20% in a single day and a cumulative rise of 153% for the year.

- 2025 Extension: The DOGE department reforms the U.S. government in a Silicon Valley model, sparking controversy over 'technological Leviathan.'

IV. Cultural Impact and Controversy

- Meme Coin Paradigm Creator: DOGE spawned thousands of meme coins like Shiba Inu (SHIB) and PepeCoin, forming a crypto subculture of 'low barriers + community resonance.'

- Legal Risks: In 2022, Musk was sued for 'manipulating DOGE prices,' with claims for $258 billion; multiple countries warned about its speculative nature and regulatory vacuum.

- Dual Identity: Both a payment tool (such as cross-border tipping) and a highly volatile speculative target, highlighting the absurdity and innovative potential of cryptocurrency.

Summary: From Joke to Cultural Symbol

The evolution of DOGE reflects the deep integration of the crypto world and popular culture: starting from a meme of a Shiba Inu photo, growing through grassroots community charitable practices, exploding with celebrity capital boosts, and ultimately embedding itself in political economic narratives. Its core contradiction—'joke currency' vs. a market cap of hundreds of billions—serves as a metaphor for the democratization and bubble-ization of finance in the digital age.