Dogecoin ($DOGE), the cryptocurrency that started as a joke, has become a cultural phenomenon. Popular meme-based cryptocurrency Dogecoin ($DOGE) was initially released on December 6, 2013, as a “fun and friendly internet currency.” It was created by Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer. Dogecoin is “a decentralized, peer-to-peer digital currency” that has as its mascot “Doge,”