Twitter's New Logo of Doge the Dog: Everything You Need to Know

Who is Doge the dog and why did Elon Musk make him Twitter's new mascot?

Twitter users who logged into the social media website on Monday were stunned to find that the well-known logo shaped like a twittering songbird had been replaced by that of *checks notes* a dog. And while the change appears to be a prank, it came two days after the usual onslaught of April Fool's Day antics. There does appear to be a reason behind the sudden shift. Here's everything we know.

What is Twitter's new logo?

On Monday, April 3, Twitter changed the logo on it's homepage from the iconic white bird to a picture of Doge, an internet meme based on a photo of a Shiba Inu dog. While the logos were swapped on the web version of Twitter, which was bought by billionaire Elon Musk last year, they remain the same on the mobile version.

Related: The Internet Has Thoughts About the New Twitter Logo  

What is Doge?

Doge is an internet meme that dates back to the early 2010s and usually consists of a photo of a Shiba Inu dog surrounded by thoughts that could be described as an internal monologue. "Doge" is a misspelling of the word "dog" that is pronounced "dohj." The Doge meme became popular on sites like Reddit and 4Chan and has a long history that includes various joke formats. It's become one of the most recognizable memes on the internet.

What is Dogecoin?

Dogecoin started as a joke to make fun of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. It used the iconic Doge meme as its mascot to signify that it was poking fun at other more serious forms of cryptocurrency. However, over the years Dogecoin has become more legitimate, developing a fan base and reaching a market capitalization over $80 billion.

Related: Elon Musk Has the Strangest Breakfast Habit

Why did Twitter change its logo?

Twitter changed its logo to Doge in part due to an inside joke made to Twitter's owner and CEO, Elon Musk. When Musk, himself a bit of an internet meme, was considering buying the social media company over a year ago, he queried the internet, "Is a new platform need?" A Twitter user with the handle @WSBChairman responded in a pair of tweets, "just buy twitter and change the bird logo to a doge". Musk replied, "Haha that would sickkk." He posted a screenshot of the interaction on Monday with the caption, "As promised".

Is Elon Musk also in a lawsuit regarding Dogecoin?

Yes. The second, perhaps shadier, reason for the Twitter logo swap may be a reference to ongoing class action lawsuit against Musk. The plaintiffs accuse Musk of racketeering in the promotion of Dogecoin. They are suing Musk for $258 billion in damages claiming that his promotion of the cryptocurrency, including on Saturday Night Live defrauded individuals. The lawsuit is still ongoing, but Musk's legal team maintains he did nothing wrong.

Did the Twitter logo change effect the Dogecoin price?

Yes, when Twitter changed its logo to Doge on Monday, the value of Dogecoin rose 20%.

Will Twitter change its logo back to the bird?

At this point in time, it is unknown, but since the change hasn't been applied to all the brand's marketing and their app icon, it's fairly safe to assume the change isn't permanent.

Next, From Tesla to Twitter, What We Know About Elon Musk's Net Worth In 2023