But now there is another reason to worry about DOGE: Scammers are capitalizing on increased interest in its actions in order to defraud people of cryptocurrency, according to the online protection company McAfee, which researches and monitors digital scams.

On Reddit and X, Zelinsky analyzed messages from Musk followers who truly believed that Dogecoin price hikes are Musk's "gift" propelling Dogecoin to become not just the "currency of Earth" but the currency of Mars. That's the real fantasy that makes Musk such a charismatic figure, Zelinsky suggested.