Dogecoin began in 2013 as a joke built around a dog meme — then grew into something its own creators never intended.

Two engineers made it to gently mock the flood of get-rich-quick cryptocurrencies, slapping the popular 'Doge' Shiba Inu image on it. To their surprise it attracted a devoted community that funded charity drives and even a NASCAR sponsorship, and it kept trading for years after both founders had stepped away.