- Billy Markus, co-creator of Dogecoin, had $500 stolen during a visit to Japan.
- He expressed equal dismay over the theft and cultural shame, considering himself a Japanese-American.
- Markus accidentally left his fanny pack with the money in a public restroom with fancy amenities.
Billy Markus, who co-created the Dogecoin cryptocurrency back in 2013, revealed via Twitter this week that he had $500 stolen from him during a visit to Japan. However, he expressed equal dismay over both the theft and the cultural shame it elicited as a Japanese-American.
In a series of tweets, Markus explained that he accidentally left his fanny pack containing the cash in a public restroom after becoming distracted by its fancy amenities. When he returned minutes later, the fanny pack remained, but the money was gone.
i had about $500 stolen from me in japan, and the interesting part is, while i was upset about losing the money, i think i was equally upset that someone stole it from me in japan!
as a half-japanese person i think i internalized some of the shame, haha— Shibetoshi Nakamoto (@BillyM2k) October 11, 2023
Dogecoin co-creator noted he felt an equal measure of shame
While disappointed about the stolen $500, Markus noted he felt an equal measure of shame about the incident occurring in Japan as someone with Japanese ancestry. He attributed this to internalizing certain cultural expectations of honor and propriety.
Many respondents were curious about the specific circumstances that led to the theft. Markus acknowledged that it resulted from carelessness while interacting with the uniquely high-tech toilet.
Some observers picked up on the irony given Markus’ history of creating one of the largest cryptocurrencies, which aims to function as digital cash. Dogecoin currently has a market capitalization of over $7 billion.
Nonetheless, the Dogecoin founder learned firsthand about remaining vigilant in public spaces regardless of low local crime levels. His cultural ties amplified the personal embarrassment.
