From DOGE to GONE: The 294-Day Experiment of Crypto Meme Invasion in Washington

The Fleeting Moment of the Shiba Inu Political Experiment

If there’s anything that could rigidly transplant the logic of Wall Street and Silicon Valley into Washington, it’s none other than DOGE. This government department, named after the dog coin, lasted only 294 days from its inception to dissolution—neither too long nor too short, just fitting into a satirical time frame.

Immediately upon assuming office, Trump signed an executive order to establish the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Elon Musk, as the project’s core promoter, directly brought the crypto community’s aesthetic to the official website. Shiba Inu imagery, stylized dog coin symbols—the entire department looked less like a government agency and more like a crypto project hyping a concept. Musk even took a photo holding a chainsaw with the caption claiming it was “for bureaucratic efficiency,” a tactic directly copied from his DOGE promotion script.

Interestingly, this meme-based packaging strategy actually worked. The website’s design broke away from the traditional seriousness of government institutions, using internet culture’s humor to win over young people and internet natives. But this also planted a fundamental problem: when you operate a real government department with meme coin logic, the results often don’t meet expectations.

Silicon Valley Spirit Meets Washington Reality

DOGE’s mode of operation was entirely based on startup tactics. Musk recruited about 50 young people in their twenties, dubbed “Dewdrop Soldiers,” wearing hoodies and jeans, running between federal agencies. This team relied on Red Bull and intense work hours, using AI tools to swiftly integrate into various government functions—from contract funding to employee travel reimbursements—all data-driven.

Within just three weeks, the DOGE team had placed personnel in major federal agencies. They discovered government buildings were underutilized and immediately vacated them, saving $150 million. This “rapid action and breaking norms” Silicon Valley spirit did produce some results, but it also angered the entire Washington system.

The department demanded federal employees submit weekly reports; failure to do so meant automatic resignation. They threatened to treat absences as administrative leave. Such tough stances were unprecedented in the traditional bureaucratic system. To demonstrate determination, DOGE even froze all government hiring. It sounded ambitious, but this became the root of subsequent problems.

The Balloon Will Eventually Burst

Musk initially claimed to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget. How big is that number? It was an exaggerated crypto-style publicity stunt—grab attention, create hype, but the reality was different.

The actual cut was $160 billion, less than one-fifth of the claimed figure. Not only that, a report from Senate Democrats revealed that DOGE “wasted” over $21 billion in federal funds within six months. The Department of Energy’s loan programs were frozen, causing a loss of $263 million in interest revenue; the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shut down, leading to $110 million worth of food and medicine rotting in warehouses.

This exposes the disconnect between narrative and reality. When a government department operates with crypto project rhetoric and exaggerated promises to attract attention, but ultimately produces a record showing losses far exceeding any efficiency gains, the fundamental flaws of this model become clear.

DOGE faced nearly 20 lawsuits, including violations of the Privacy Act, unauthorized access to sensitive data, and a joint lawsuit by 14 state attorneys general accusing Musk and Trump, claiming the president’s delegated powers to Musk violated constitutional appointment clauses.

The Rapid Demise of the Political Meme Coin

In May, Musk announced his resignation from DOGE, subsequently publicly breaking with Trump over disagreements on the “Big and Beautiful” bill. During the summer, DOGE personnel began to withdraw from the headquarters one after another. Guard posts and access control signs disappeared.

Eventually, the director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Scott Cooper, publicly confirmed: “It no longer exists.” DOGE’s functions were taken over by the Office of Personnel Management, and its once-symbolic initiatives vanished into thin air.

Members of the DOGE team didn’t completely leave government but transitioned into new roles. Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia now manages the National Design Studio, and Zachary Treil became the CTO of the Department of Health and Human Services. This marked the end of DOGE as an experimental attempt, but some of its ideas are still being absorbed by the traditional government system.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis commented on social media: “DOGE fought the swamp, but the swamp won.” This political meme experiment ultimately was defeated by the traditional power structure.

Invasion of Crypto Culture and Reflection

The story of DOGE actually reflects a broader trend: symbol economy and crypto culture are infiltrating traditional politics. Although this experiment ended early, it signaled that the integration of politics and crypto culture is now irreversible. In the future, we may see more political institutions and governance models with “crypto-native” characteristics, with the key challenge being how to combine the innovative spirit of the crypto world with the stability of traditional governance.

But here’s a harsh truth: when the hype around meme symbols fades, and narratives detach from technological implementation and real value creation, they are ultimately just castles in the air. DOGE teaches us that no matter how flashy the packaging or how well-promoted, if the core logic doesn’t keep pace, it will only lead to greater chaos. The true legacy in history will never be those fireworks symbols but the technologies and practices that solve real problems.