Billy Markus, widely recognized by his online pseudonym, Shibetoshi Nakamoto, is the brains behind the original meme cryptocurrency, Dogecoin. Recently, he sparked a flurry of reactions in the crypto community with a tongue-in-cheek tweet about his wealth status.
In a style that is quintessentially Nakamoto – ironic and playful – he took to Twitter to declare, “I’m pre-rich”. This tweet harks back to the popular trend of using the prefix “pre” on social media, a convention that can be attached to virtually anything. In this instance, Markus seems to be suggesting that he is on the verge of attaining wealth.
For the uninitiated, it’s important to note that Markus’s portfolio isn’t bursting with cryptocurrency. In fact, he’s repeatedly stated throughout the year, via posts on the X app, that his crypto holdings are quite modest. He possesses 0.006 BTC and a small cache of Dogecoin. Interestingly, Markus decided to sell almost all his crypto holdings in 2015 to purchase a used Honda Civic, a story now deeply entrenched in the Dogecoin narrative. At that time, he could not have envisaged that Dogecoin, his creation, would one day be worth nearly $47 billion in market capitalization and become a favored cryptocurrency of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.
In a wider sense, Markus’s tweet could be seen as an embodiment of the collective aspirations of cryptocurrency holders who dream of converting their digital assets into millions of US dollars. Many are hopeful that an altcoin rally will kick off in 2025, as Bitcoin appears to be entering a consolidation phase. Historically, altcoins have rallied when Bitcoin’s surge has come to a halt, with investors diverting their money into promising and affordable cryptocurrencies, a scenario that has played out several times in recent years.
The response to Markus’s tweet was enthusiastic, with his followers on X offering their interpretations of “pre” states and engaging in lively discussions about wealth.
In a previous post, Nakamoto shared his thoughts on the recent plunge in the crypto market, which affected Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. Displaying his usual dark humor, he tweeted: “So glad I quit my job.” Responding to an X user’s comment “WAGMI”, an acronym for “We’re all gonna make it”, Markus replied with an animated GIF, seemingly agreeing with the optimistic sentiment. On that day, Bitcoin recorded a significant drop from above $102,000 to $96,000 and further slipped below $94,000 following bearish comments from the Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell.
