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Dogecoin co-founder Billy Markus mocked President Donald Trump’s proposed $5,000 “Trump Dividend,” suggesting the U.S. government instead spend $1.2 trillion buying Dogecoin and distributing it to Americans. The Sept. 12 post came days after Trump promised the payments if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in November.
Markus Suggests $1.2 Trillion Dogecoin Buy
Markus, who posts on X as Shibetoshi Nakamoto, responded to the proposed cash payments with an explicitly humorous alternative.
“Instead, the government should buy 1.2 trillion dollars of dogecoin and give some to every American”
The post was a joke rather than a policy proposal. Markus co-created Dogecoin with Jackson Palmer in 2013 and is known for using the Shibetoshi Nakamoto account to comment on crypto and broader economic issues. The $1.2 trillion figure is broadly in line with estimates of the cost of a one-time $5,000 payment to U.S. adults, although the total would depend on eligibility rules.
Trump Conditions Dividend on Republican Win
Trump announced the proposed dividend at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 9. He said every adult U.S. citizen would receive $5,000 if Republicans retain both the House and Senate in the November elections.
Trump has promoted the proposal as affordable given what he describes as strong revenue flowing into the United States. No legislation authorizing the payments has been enacted. House Speaker Mike Johnson said congressional approval would be required and that details still needed to be worked out.
$1.2 Trillion Would Dwarf Dogecoin’s Market Value
Markus’s hypothetical government purchase would be far larger than Dogecoin’s existing market capitalization. DOGE was valued at roughly $13.2 billion around the time of his post, making $1.2 trillion more than 90 times its quoted market value.
That comparison does not mean $1.2 trillion of DOGE could be purchased at prevailing prices. Market capitalization measures circulating supply at the latest traded price rather than the amount of liquidity available for a buyer, and an acquisition on that scale would substantially affect the market.
The Trump dividend itself also remains a proposal rather than an approved payment program. The CRFB has warned that financing the payments through additional borrowing would increase the federal deficit and could add to inflationary pressure.
