- Elon Musk says the U.S. government has no plans to use Dogecoin, despite the D.O.G.E. name.
- A Dogecoin mascot briefly appeared on the department’s site, causing a 14% price spike.
- Musk’s role in the D.O.G.E. initiative remains unclear, though Trump calls him its leader.
Elon Musk may be the internet’s favorite Dogecoin hype man, but according to him, the U.S. government isn’t hopping on the memecoin train anytime soon.
At a town hall event on March 30 in Green Bay, Wisconsin—hosted by his America PAC—Musk took a moment to address the rumors that the Department of Government Efficiency (or D.O.G.E., as it’s now called) might be tied to the actual Dogecoin cryptocurrency.
“There are no plans for the government to use Dogecoin or anything as far as I know,” he said. “They happen to be similar names, but really, we’re literally just trying to make the government 15% more efficient.”
The Name? Blame the Internet
Musk said the whole “D.O.G.E.” thing actually came from online suggestions. Originally, he was going to call it the Government Efficiency Commission, but yeah… even he admitted that was super boring.
“The internet said it needs to be the Department of Government Efficiency. I was like, ‘The Internet is right,’” Musk joked.
Still, that didn’t stop the speculation. Back in February, the official D.O.G.E. website randomly showed Dogecoin’s Shiba Inu mascot. And that tiny image? It was enough to send Dogecoin soaring 14%, hitting a $58 billion market cap. Not bad for a dog meme.
The SEC Is Watching
This isn’t Musk’s first dance with Dogecoin controversy. In fact, he’s had a few run-ins with regulators over his Dogecoin tweets. In 2023, he was even hit with a market manipulation lawsuit tied to his constant promotion of the coin.
That said, his latest comments seem to have fallen flat. No real price spike this time—Dogecoin’s actually down 3.3%, trading around $0.1654, according to CoinGecko.
So What Is D.O.G.E., Then?
Originally teased in August 2024, the Department of Government Efficiency has quickly become one of the Trump administration’s key tools for shrinking federal bureaucracy.
The department’s mission? Cut costs. Slash programs. Restructure agencies. Clean house. That’s the pitch.
Since launching, D.O.G.E. has rolled out mass layoffs and budget cuts targeting everything from climate research to diversity programs. Agencies like USAID, CFPB, and SSA have all been hit.
Naturally, that’s led to lawsuits—plenty of them. Critics are pushing back hard, trying to limit the department’s growing reach.
Musk’s Role? It’s… Complicated
Officially, the White House says Musk is just a senior advisor to the project—no real policy authority, no salary. But Donald Trump? He’s gone on record calling Musk the leader of D.O.G.E., even praising him for “revolutionizing how Washington works.”
Musk himself? He’s said he’s not getting paid and doesn’t technically run the department, though his presence suggests otherwise.
So, is Musk leading a government agency named after a meme coin he helped pump? Technically, no. But also… kinda feels like yes.
