Dogecoin, the meme-based cryptocurrency featuring a Shiba Inu dog as a mascot, briefly touched a record Monday after billionaire Elon Musk, rapper Snoop Dogg and Kiss bassist Gene Simmons tweeted about it. The cryptocurrency climbed to a peak of about 8.2 U.S. cents and a market capitalization of $10.5 billion during Asian trading hours Monday before pulling back, according to pricing data from CoinGecko. The coin was ranked among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market value, the figures showed.
Dogecoin’s rally is fueled by the social media hype of the coin.
Dogecoin’s surprising social media-fueled rally is just one instance of the revival in cryptocurrencies over the past year. The two leading cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin and Ether, both scaled fresh peaks in recent weeks amid a debate about whether they’re blipping onto the radar of long-term investors or being lifted by waves of speculative buying in a world awash with stimulus. Bitcoin was changing hands at $38,730 as of press time, after surging to almost $41,000 over the weekend. Ether has dipped from an all-time high amid the start of trading in CME Group Inc. futures contracts.
Elon Musk has tweeted multiple times about Dogecoin.
Musk, the richest person in the world, has tweeted multiple times about Dogecoin recently. Snoop Dogg pinned a tweet with “Snoop Doge.” Simmons, a member of the American rock band Kiss, pointed out how much people could have made if they had purchased Dogecoin earlier. Speaking on social audio app Clubhouse on Feb. 1, Musk said he’s a Bitcoin supporter and thinks it’s “a good thing.” He added that his comments on Dogecoin were meant as jokes. Tesla CEO had also put bitcoin in his Twitter bio earlier.
