Billy Markus

Billy Markus is an American software engineer who co-created Dogecoin in 2013 with his friend Jackson Palmer. It began as a joke poking fun at the volatility of conventional cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The two decided that the joke would do well against serious cryptocurrencies.

Markus modeled Dogecoin’s protocol based on existing cryptocurrencies Luckycoin and Litecoin, which use scrypt technology in their proof-of-work algorithm. Using scrypt means that miners cannot use SHA-256 bitcoin mining equipment and instead must use dedicated FPGA and ASIC devices for mining which are known to be more challenging to produce.

Before developing Dogecoin, Markus worked at the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).

• Dogecoin Co-creator
• International Business Machine Corporation (IBM) Software Engineer