Dogecoin is one of the leading digital currencies in the market. It's based on a scrypt algorithm making its transaction process much faster than Bitcoin. Furthermore, the crypto's market capitalization is worth millions of dollars. And one of the people behind its creation is Billy Markus.
Markus is a programmer and software engineer who first developed Dogecoin as a joke. He and his partner, Jackson Palmer, created it as a satire for Bitcoin and other rising cryptocurrencies. However, Dogecoin's popularity quickly skyrocketed with the help of Reddit. It is continuing with the addition of new users.
Sadly, the Dogecoin creator couldn't share similar luck, and his story has a rather tragic ending. If you want to know about that, keep reading this biography.
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Billy Markus' Background Is A Mystery
The software engineer was born in Portland, Oregon. He is a man of secrecy and hasn't revealed many details about himself. Hence, Markus' actual birthday is unknown, but as per Google's search, his birth year is 1983.
Likewise, the Dogecoin co-founder hasn't been so forthcoming in sharing details of his family. He might have kept them a secret to avoid unnecessary media scrutiny. So, Billy Markus' father and mother's identities are a mystery. He also hasn't revealed whether he is a single child or has any siblings.
Jackson Palmer's (pictured) business partner, Billy Markus, has kept his family a secret. Photo Source: Social Media.
Talking about Markus' educational background, he must have attended high school in his hometown. Unfortunately, he hasn't disclosed in which college he enrolled. But considering his career, he might have majored in computer science and obtained a software engineering degree.
On his LinkedIn account, Billy has joked that he has a Good Boi Degree from Puppy Teaching School.
Billy Markus Net Worth And Career
The programmer initially worked in a multinational technology company, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). He worked as a software engineer there before launching Dogecoin.
Jackson Palmer first developed the idea of Dogecoin. He learned about altcoins like BBQCoin, MagaCoin, and AnonCoin emerging as Bitcoin's rivals in 2013. Then, Jackson jokingly tweeted about how he would invest in Dogecoins.
Palmer received positive responses and bought the domain Dogecoin.com. He also photoshopped the logo on the coin with a scattered Comic Sans text. Furthermore, Markus stumbled upon that and reached out to Palmer. He designed its protocol by using scrypt technology in their proof-of-work algorithm.
Although Dogecoin co-founders initially didn't have a master plan, they were focused on creating something different. Both were aspiring to create crypto that would reach a broader demographic than Bitcoin. Finally, they launched Dogecoin on December 6, 2013.
Billy Markus and Jackson Palmer (pictured) developed Dogecoin as a satire to increasing cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. Photo Source: Social Media.
Markus' Dogecoin, also considered meme coin has the image of a Shiba Inu Dog. It publicizes itself as a fun and friendly internet currency that are easy to use.
The new crypto's value rose by nearly 300 percent within two weeks of launching. It again skyrocketed during the cryptocurrency bubble peak in 2017. The market cap of Dogecoin is $20.70B. Furthermore, the multi-billionaire and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, has been a vocal supporter of Dogecoin. He has also invested in it, and his company Tesla accepts it as a payment for some merchandise.
Dogecoin's native token, DOGE's price is $0.17 as per coinbase as of January 5, 2021. It's constantly increasing in the market.
Sadly, Billy left Dogecoin after facing online harassment from the crypto community in 2015. He also sold all of his Dogecoins which could only raise enough money to buy a Honda Civic.
Nonetheless, Billy Markus' net worth must have increased during his involvement in Dogecoin.
Current Career Ventures
As per MoneyInc., the Dogecoin co-founder has returned to his engineering job at IBM. He must be involved in developing different programs and software there. Furthermore, considering his experience, Markus' salary must be pretty high in the company.
Aside from that, Billy is an NFT collector and has an extensive collection of unique pixelated Doge avatars. They are available in OpenSea with a minimum cost being $1,259.71 (0.33ETH). Moreover, he also has made dogecoin doodles which are available in Rarible. Some of his artworks and their prices are listed below:
| Dogecoin Doodles | Price |
| Chibi Doge #1: Benny (Rare) | $3,389.76 (0.888ETH) |
| Chibi Doge #3: Houndini (Rare) | $3,389.76 (0.888ETH) |
| Chibi Doge #1: Benny (Common) | $377.91 (0.099ETH) |
| Chibi Doge #2: Bear (Common) | $377.91 (0.099ETH) |
| #7: Crappy Dogecoin Doodles: Sir Doge of the Coin ve Red Candle | $3,664.61 (0.96ETH) |
Hence, Billy Markus' net worth must be a notable figure from his engineering job and NFT and Dogecoin doodles sales.
Is Billy Markus In A Relationship?
The media personality has received attention since the launch of Dogecoin. Despite parting ways with the company, his fan following is continuously increasing. Moreover, many people sympathize with him and try to find out everything about him.
So, we often see searches regarding Billy Markus' wife or partner in the media. Likewise, questions like whether Markus is in a relationship or dating aren't new.
Sadly, Billy has led a tranquil life since he departed from the company. He doesn't appear much in media and hasn't revealed much about his private affairs.
Similarly, he hasn't shared his marital status in the media. So, Billy Markus' wife or girlfriend has remained a mystery among his admirers.
Nonetheless, the programmer is often active on Twitter, where he frequently posts funny memes. His memes often feature dogs representing crypto-related news or his personal opinions regarding them. Furthermore, on LinkedIn, Billy describes himself as a self-employed man posting memes on Twitter.
Markus hasn't revealed whether he will be returning to cryptocurrency anytime soon. Despite Dogecoin's increasing market value, he seems content and happy with his current status. Hopefully, we might see him creating another fantastic cryptocurrency sometime in the future.
Trivia And Fun Facts
- Billy goes by the name Shibetoshi Nakamoto on Twitter which boasts 969.6K followers.
- He shares how Dogecoin should be more about joy, kindness, learning, giving, etc.
