How DOGS Token Turned A Simple Age Verification System Into A Multi-Million Dollar Charitable Movement
In Brief
Andrew Dudka, Head of Bark at DOGS, discusses Telegram’s infrastructure and DOGS brand’s successful token launch, highlighting innovative distribution model and philanthropic initiatives.
The intersection of meme coins and genuine social impact has created a new paradigm in crypto. In this interview, Andrew Dudka, Head of Bark at DOGS, discusses how his team leveraged Telegram’s infrastructure and the recognizable DOGS brand to create one of TON’s most successful token launches.
From the project’s innovative distribution model to its substantial charitable initiatives, Andrew shares insights on how DOGS combines community engagement with philanthropy, having already channeled millions in donations while maintaining a fully transparent, lock-free token model that puts the community first.
What do you think drove DOGS’ rapid adoption, and what strategies were key to this viral success?
At the moment of the launch, the symbol of the DOGS token was quite well-known, especially in the CIS region where VK is popular. This familiarity with the brand was one of the key factors behind the success. Additionally, the mechanics of the project were very simple – users just needed to report the age of their Telegram account to receive the tokens.
This low barrier to entry appealed to many people, as it did not require a significant time investment. The feedback we received was that DOGS was the simplest project compared to others at the time. It was easy, understandable, and a good way for Telegram OG users to reconnect with the platform’s early days. The combination of a recognizable brand and an accessible, transparent model was essential to driving the rapid growth.
How does the seamless experience with Telegram’s infrastructure make it easier for non-crypto users to engage with DOGS?
Building on Telegram’s platform has significant advantages. Firstly, it simplifies the development process – you don’t need a large team of developers to integrate a project on Telegram, as the infrastructure is already in place. Secondly, you immediately have access to Telegram’s large user base, who are already familiar with the ecosystem.
This solves the challenge of user acquisition that many new projects face. Additionally, the integration with the TON blockchain further streamlines the process, allowing for easy token minting and wallet integration within the Telegram environment. The overall experience is very natural and approachable for both developers and users, lowering the barriers to entry for non-crypto audiences.
DOGS stands out with its charitable mission of helping children. What motivated the decision to integrate philanthropy into a meme coin, and how is it executed?
We launched the charity campaign very early on, within the first three days of the project’s launch. We offered users the opportunity to donate and receive additional DOGS points in return. This was completely optional, and the donations did not affect their airdrop or other aspects of the project. The motivation behind this was the idea that when you earn something, you should also give something back. The team and the community felt it was natural to incorporate a charitable component into the project.
To our pleasant surprise, more than 30% of the tokens that were unclaimed at the end of the airdrop were voted by the community to be donated to charity, which amounted to around $4-5 million at the current exchange rate. This demonstrates that the community sentiment was very much aligned with the charitable mission – they understood that while earning was good, there were people and causes that needed help.
We believe that crypto projects, especially those with significant revenues, should be actively involved in charitable initiatives. This not only benefits the recipients but also helps to change the perception of crypto from being associated with scams to being a force for good. We encourage other crypto projects to follow a similar path and incorporate philanthropy into their models.
Most DOGS tokens are distributed to the community without locks or vesting. What advantages does this bring, and how does it differ from traditional crypto token models?
This approach was not invented by us, but we liked the idea used by the NotCoin project. The main risk of this model is that if all the supply is on the market, the selling pressure could be higher than the buying pressure, leading to a price drop. However, the key benefit is transparency.
With this model, we know that there will not be a situation where an additional 30% of the supply suddenly hits the market through an extra airdrop or similar mechanism. We also know that anyone who wants to sell their initial airdrop tokens has already done so without any limits. This allows us to focus on building long-term token awareness and adoption without the unpredictable price fluctuations that could result from additional supply entering the market.
Essentially, it gives the community full ownership and control over their tokens. If people own the tokens, they should be able to do whatever they want with them rather than having restrictions or vesting schedules. This approach prioritizes transparency and empowers the community, which aligns with our philosophy of the community being the true “team” behind DOGS.
What specific actions or events has the team planned for further incentivized community involvement in the future?
We recently launched a successful “treasure hunt” event, where over 120 people are currently participating. We plan to run this type of interactive, community-driven activity multiple times going forward. Additionally, we are working closely with various charitable organizations to plan real-life events and activities that will involve the community in a central way. We don’t want to disclose too many details yet, as we want to maintain some surprises.
The key is to continuously find ways to engage the community and make them feel like they are an integral part of the project, not just passive holders. We consider a lot of community feedback and sentiment in our decision-making, as we truly view the DOGS community as the team behind the project, not just ourselves.
The initial Telegram mini-app brought everyone together and allowed us to distribute the tokens as fairly as possible. Now, the focus is on keeping the community involved and building a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose, similar to how successful communities have formed around their products and missions. We aim to foster a strong, united DOGS community that goes beyond just holding the token.
What is your personal opinion on what we can expect in the meme coins and tokens market in the future?
It’s very difficult to predict the future of the meme coins and tokens market, as there are so many unpredictable factors involved. However, I believe that we will see a lot of great projects, meme-based and otherwise, emerge on the TON ecosystem and Telegram platform.
The mass adoption and accessibility that TON and Telegram bring will drive more and more people to explore crypto space. For many in our community, DOGS was their first foray into cryptocurrency, and we’ve seen them learning and helping each other navigate concepts like wallets and gas fees. This onboarding of new users who previously had no exposure to crypto is incredibly valuable for the overall market.
I think we’ll see meme projects and airdrops with even larger user bases, potentially reaching hundreds of millions or even half a billion people. Telegram has nearly 1 billion monthly active users, and each one of them could potentially become a new meme token holder. This mass adoption, facilitated by the ease of entry provided by platforms like TON, will be a game-changer for the crypto industry.
While the meme token market will likely continue to see a lot of activity and growth, I also believe it will help drive the exploration and adoption of other cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies. As people get familiar with meme tokens, they’ll start to discover and learn about the broader crypto ecosystem.
I expect the meme token market to continue expanding rapidly, acting as a gateway for mass crypto adoption. TON and Telegram will be at the forefront of this trend, leading to an exciting and transformative period for the entire cryptocurrency space.
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About The Author
Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience.
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Victoria is a writer on a variety of technology topics including Web3.0, AI and cryptocurrencies. Her extensive experience allows her to write insightful articles for the wider audience.
