First US Memecoin ETF DOJE Expected To Launch Next Week

The financial world is about to test something unusual. The first US ETF built around a memecoin is finally set to go live Mid Week after multiple delays. Called the Rex Osprey Dogecoin ETF and trading under the ticker DOJE, it has been in the works for months and now looks ready to make its debut.

Eric Balchunas Calls DOJE Start Of Memecoin ETF Era

Eric Balchunas, who tracks ETFs closely at Bloomberg, has been framing this as more than a small side story. He sees it as the start of the “memecoin ETF era” and points out that DOJE is the first US ETF tied to something that was never meant to have utility in the first place. That detail matters because ETFs usually track assets with some measurable function or value, whether it’s stocks, bonds, or commodities. DOJE flips that logic by capturing demand for culture itself.

The structure of the fund is also interesting. Instead of holding Dogecoin directly, it uses derivatives and a Cayman Islands subsidiary to mirror exposure. That choice comes from being filed under the Investment Company Act of 1940, which allowed a smoother path through regulators compared with the route taken by Bitcoin or Ethereum ETFs under the 1933 Act. Clearly, the mechanics here are designed to sidestep some of the heavier hurdles and still give investors a clean way to buy in.

Doge Price Surges Ahead Of ETF Launch

Markets are picking this up fast. Dogecoin climbed over 20 percent in the last week and crossed $0.25 for the first time in weeks. Trading volume doubled to $2.6 billion, and on-chain data shows whales adding about 280 million tokens. That points to bigger players getting in before the ETF. If the momentum holds after launch is uncertain, but the run-up shows clear anticipation.

Analysts are putting out wide-ranging forecasts. Conservative calls cluster around $0.50 to $1, while more aggressive targets go as high as $2.28 or even $3.50 if momentum carries. Technical watchers are eyeing near-term resistance around $0.28 to $0.30. Of course, these are just scenarios, but they give a sense of how much is riding on DOJE in the short term.

DOJE Simplifies Doge Investing For Retail Traders

Outside the US, crypto ETFs have taken different paths. Canada led with the first Bitcoin ETF years ago. Brazil has several crypto funds already approved. The EU set up MiCA rules to standardize regulation, but still limits ETFs directly tied to crypto. Singapore has no crypto ETFs yet, though its licensing rules for exchanges are among the most established. With DOJE, the US jumps ahead by creating the first Memecoin ETF, and regulators elsewhere will be watching how it performs.

Institutional Interest In Doge Grows With ETF Approval

For regular investors, the idea is simple. An ETF is a basket of assets you can buy shares in through a brokerage account. That means there will be exposure to Dogecoin without opening a crypto wallet or figuring out exchange transfers. It turns what started as internet humor into something that sits alongside regular investment products in retirement accounts and trading apps.

There’s also a bigger picture. CleanCore Solutions has been stockpiling over 500 million Dogecoin, worth around $125 million, as a kind of treasury strategy. Tesla still accepts Dogecoin for some payments. And with DOJE about to launch, institutional funds like pensions might finally get direct access. For better or worse, this blurs the line between community-driven assets and mainstream finance.

The risks are obvious. Memecoins are volatile and react quickly to online trends. Dogecoin was born as a parody, and critics argue that putting it inside a regulated wrapper only amplifies speculation. Regulation could tighten further if memecoin ETFs multiply. Still, the precedent is now set, and more applications are lined up, including proposals tied to Shiba Inu, TRUMP, BONK, and others. Eric Balchunas even predicts that more actively managed Memecoin ETFs could arrive by 2026.

The launch of DOJE next week will test whether internet culture can sustain itself as an investment product inside Wall Street infrastructure. It may become a turning point or just another speculative cycle, but it is undeniably a milestone.