Smart Contracts Are Coming Soon to Dogecoin. Is It Time to Reconsider the World's Most Popular Meme Coin?

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Key takeaways

DogeOS launched its public testnet on Sept. 30 to bring smart contract functionality to Dogecoin.
The Layer-2 network uses Ethereum technology and the Ethereum Virtual Machine.
Previous attempts like Dogechain failed to attract meaningful capital or user activity.

Bolting on more technology does not a successful blockchain make

For a long time, most serious investors have rightfully eschewed buying any Dogecoin on the simple basis that it lacked any fundamental value. But now, there's a chance that might change with the Sept. 30, 2026, testnet launch of DogeOS, a network that adds smart contracts using Ethereum technology.

In crypto, smart contracts are programs that let blockchains host applications, like lending markets and exchanges. Dogecoin's blockchain doesn't natively support them. That makes it hard to create new on-chain systems that might stimulate demand for the coin. Hence, many crypto investors agree that the coin itself has no value, as it can't be used for any productive purpose by default.

Therefore, some developers created a bolt-on workaround called DogeOS, a Layer-2 chain that runs independently and settles its state to the main Dogecoin chain. DogeOS launched its public test network on Sept. 30, and it runs the Ethereum Virtual Machine, which means most crypto developers are already up to speed on the programming languages and other technology factors needed to create working programs.

This is a zero-knowledge rollup, which is a network that posts cryptographic proofs that its transactions were processed correctly. Dogecoin can't check those proofs yet, so DogeOS relies on its own validators for now. It isn't Dogecoin's first attempt to create new demand for the coin. For example, in August 2022, developers launched Dogechain, a smart contract network. It never caught on. As of Oct. 6, it had just $271 in capital parked in its apps, which is to say it's a dead project.

Will DogeOS make Dogecoin worth owning?

Could DogeOS gain traction and make Dogecoin worth buying? Anything is possible, but the odds are slim. DogeOS charges transaction fees in Dogecoin, which could create a sliver of new demand. But there's still no mechanism to burn those fees or route them to coinholders, and Dogecoin's supply is designed to expand at a slow, perpetual pace, which will continue. Nor is DogeOS offering anything that's not easier to do elsewhere.

There is, however, a small chance that DogeOS will take off and start to attract more capital to Dogecoin. If that happens, it could pave the way for further investment in developing new DogeOS features, which might, in turn, lead to consistent utilization and a moderate influx of new demand for DOGE. Eventually, under those conditions, it'd be worth reconsidering whether to buy the coin. But I wouldn't bet on it happening, especially not before some strong quantitative evidence that holds up for at least a few months.

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