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The history of meme-based cryptocurrencies is long, convoluted, and ongoing. It started in 2013 with the launch of Dogecoin (DOGE) and is not likely to end anytime soon. The granddaddy of meme coins is also the original dog-themed currency – a popular breed in the crypto world. Its association with Elon Musk and his occasional tweets promoting the coin cause severe price spikes, making the canine variety of cryptocurrencies all the more interesting. One of the most memorable dog-themed virals from the past few years is related to Cheems – the dog and the meme that inspired a number of cryptocurrencies.
Who is Cheems?
Cheems was a Shiba Inu dog from Hong Kong who gained internet fame as a meme. His owner, Kathy, adopted him at the age of one from an emigrating friend. She originally named him Balltze after a Scottish-Japanese carbonated soft drink but usually referred to him as Ball Ball. Sadly, in May 2022, Balltze was diagnosed with pancreatitis and died of cancer a year later after having undergone the thoracentesis surgery.
"He fell asleep on Friday morning during his last thoracentesis surgery. Originally, we wanted to arrange chemotherapy or other possible treatment for him after this operation, but it is too late now. (...) He will always be inside my heart. I hope he can continue to bring joy to everyone in the online world, that's my only humble request," his owner wrote on Ballitze's Instagram account.
Cheems as a meme – how did Ballitze become viral?
Balltze became Cheems when a random user posted a comment on the dog's Instagram account suggesting that Ball Ball looked "like cheese." This spontaneous association gave birth to the animal's posterior nickname: Cheems, alternatively Cheemsburger. Ball Ball's rise to fame started in 2017 when Kathy uploaded a photo of the dog on Instagram with the caption reading: "Thought I had a shibainu but this is not." The picture captured Balltze's slightly derpy expression at an unusual angle, making him look even more goofy. This, coupled with the dog's fluffiness, added to his distinct charm of a Shiba Inu – a breed known for their curled tails, pointed ears, and fox-like faces.
The photo went viral and triggered millions of shares and reactions across various social media channels. Balltze's popularity soon extended to the biggest media outlets, including CNN, CBS, and Yahoo. Ultimately, Ball Ball became a meme, spawning creative reproductions.
Cheems meme as a doge meme
The Cheems meme fits into a larger family of so-called doge memes. The original doge meme – now an umbrella name for most dog-themed memes – started with a simple picture: a Shiba Inu dog named Kabosu with a slightly bulgy eyes and a sidelong glance. The photo was captured in 2010 by a Japanese kindergarten teacher who posted it on her personal blog. It didn't catch much attention at that time but not all things online happen fast.
It took three years for the image to resurface in other web locations, this time with a quirky twist: Comic Sans captions layered over the photo to portray the dog's thoughts in broken English. Words like "so," "such," and "very" became the doge's signature dialect, expressing emotions like excitement, confusion, or awkward situations in a humorous way. This combination of an adorable dog and nonsensical language struck a chord with internet users. The doge meme exploded.
In 2013, Kabosu's picture became a top meme of the year on the Know Your Meme website, ensuring the Shiba Inu breed a notable presence in popular culture. However, the word "doge" has its own online history, predating the Shiba Inu photo that became the meme's foundation. Back in 2005, an episode of the web series Homestar Runner used the intentionally misspelled word "doge" instead of "dog" for comedic effect. It's this use of "doge" that later became associated with the Shiba Inu meme when it took off.
Crypto Cheems – Cheems-themed cryptocurrencies and tokens
Capitalizing on Cheems popularity was a no-brainer for the crypto world. Following the Dogecoin tradition, new doge-themed coins and tokens started to emerge – all using Cheems as part of their name. Examples abound, with the most notable being Cheems (written in all caps as a ticker), followed by – in terms of CoinMarketCap ranking – Cheems Inu, Cheems (you can tell it apart from the other one by a ticker: Cheems vs CHEEMS), The OG Cheems Inu, and several other tokens that may have already gone extinct. Here's the current list of results from CoinMarketCap.
The website also lists Cheems-related NFTs and community results, such as coin discussions or people using Cheems-themed names or handles, such as @Cheemsburger. There are also about a hundred of Cheems related DEX pairs from decentralized exchanges.
Cheems cryptocurrencies
Currently, only three Cheems-related cryptocurrencies have websites that allow users to familiarize themselves with the projects.
The Cheems (CHEEMS) project, ranked 1291 by CoinMarketCap, can be found at Cheems.co. The website is designed after the XP edition of the Windows OS screen, with the picture of Shiba Inu composed into the familiar Windows landscape wallpaper and icons arranged along the top of the screen. Don't be misguided by the PornHub icon – it links to a Rick Roll [Doge Version] video featuring Cheems. The "roadmap" makes it clear that the project is made for LOLs rather than building "a strong and vibrant community". Have a look yourself.
Still, Cheems is active on Twitter with nearly 20k followers and consistent postings.
The price chart from CoinMarketCap instills some faith in the project. The Cheems token, launched in 2021, regained momentum after touching the bottom in 2022.
This cannot be said about The OG Cheems Inu, which has been bleeding red since its launch in March this year, after a brief spike.
The other Cheems (Cheems), too, dived down following a good start. Recently, though, it has been showing unsteady signs of revival. However, the available time frame is too short to make sensible inferences about the token's future.
However, the OG Cheems Inu team seems to have a more serious approach to the project. Their website provides some basic information, not indulging in LOL content. According to the copy, the token has been inspired by Balltze and operates on the Solana blockchain. More details are available at CheemsOnSol.vip.
As regards the other Cheems, the project seems to keep a steady balance between a tongue-in-cheek enterprise and a serious crypto initiative. It introduces the idea of Cheemsverse and convinces visitors that the token isn't about pump and dump. "Cheems is purely here to remind you people who is the Lord of Memes," the copy goes. The token distribution mechanism is solely airdrop. The team share is allegedly 0%. For more details, check Cheems.pet.
