If you’re looking for a straight answer on how many people are in doge, you’ve gotta realize we’re actually talking about two different worlds right now. There’s the famous meme coin that’s been around for a decade, and then there’s the "Department of Government Efficiency" (D.O.G.E.) that Trump and Elon Musk kicked off.
Honestly, the numbers are pretty wild for both.
As of early 2026, the Dogecoin crypto community has grown to over 8 million unique wallet addresses holding a balance. That’s a massive jump from where it was just a few years ago. But if you’re asking about the government side—the actual department—it’s a much smaller, tighter group of about 100 people calling the shots.
Breaking Down the Dogecoin Holders
When people ask about the "Doge" population, they’re usually thinking about the money. Data from Santiment and other on-chain trackers shows that Dogecoin is basically the third most widely held crypto on the planet, trailing only behind Bitcoin and Ethereum.
About 30% of American adults now own some form of crypto, and roughly 25% of those investors have Dogecoin in their digital pockets.
That means we’re talking about millions of retail traders. You’ve got the "Diamond Hands" who’ve been holding since 2021, and then you’ve got a whole new wave that jumped in during the 2025 rally.
Most of these folks are holding small amounts. It’s a very "retail" heavy coin. While Bitcoin is becoming the playground for big institutional banks and "Crypto Czars" like David Sacks, Dogecoin remains the coin of the people. Or at least, the coin of the internet.
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The Whale Problem
It’s not all just regular people with $50 in their apps. There is a massive concentration of wealth in the Doge ecosystem.
- A tiny handful of wallets—less than 0.01%—control more than half of the entire circulating supply.
- One single mystery wallet has historically held billions of dollars worth of DOGE.
- Exchanges like Robinhood and Binance hold massive amounts on behalf of their users.
When you see a big price swing, it’s usually these "whales" moving, not the millions of small holders. If you're wondering how many people are in doge at a level that actually moves the market, it’s probably fewer than 100 individuals and entities.
The Other DOGE: The Government Department
Now, let's talk about the other Doge. The Department of Government Efficiency.
This isn't a crypto project, even though it shares the name and the mascot. It's a task force. According to recent reports and Wikipedia's tracking of the network, the core "DOGE" team consists of about 100 people.
This group includes Silicon Valley heavyweights like Marc Andreessen, former Tesla engineers, and aggressive "OPM recruiters" who are tasked with slashing federal spending. They aren't traditional bureaucrats. Most are volunteers or "dollar-a-year" types who come from the tech world.
By the end of 2025, this small group of 100 people had managed to influence the "deferred resignation" offers sent to over two million government employees. It’s a classic example of a very small "in-crowd" having a massive impact on a huge population.
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Why the Name Matters
Elon Musk basically live-tweeted the creation of this department into existence. By naming it after the coin, he blurred the lines. Now, whenever he tweets about "DOGE," the price of the coin reacts, and the news cycle about government spending reacts too.
It’s a weird feedback loop. You have 8 million crypto holders watching 100 government advisors, and both groups are obsessed with the same four letters.
Is the Doge Community Still Growing?
You’d think after all the volatility, people would get bored. Nope.
In 2025 alone, the number of Dogecoin holders added about a million new faces. That's a faster growth rate than Cardano or Ripple (XRP). People like the meme. It’s easy to understand. It doesn't pretend to be "the future of finance" in a way that feels stuffy or overly technical.
However, there’s a catch.
While the number of holders is at an all-time high, the number of active daily users is much lower. Most people buy it and forget it. On any given day in January 2026, only about 500,000 to 750,000 addresses are actually sending or receiving Doge.
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The rest? They’re just waiting.
What to Watch Next
If you're thinking about joining the millions of people in the Doge ecosystem, keep a few things in mind. The "Department of Government Efficiency" has its eyes set on a sunset date of July 4, 2026. What happens to the "brand" of Doge once the government task force finishes its work? Nobody knows.
Also, look at the liquidity. Right now, most people bought their Doge between $0.14 and $0.18. If the price drops below $0.10, a lot of those 8 million people might start panicking.
Practical Steps for Doge Observers
- Check On-Chain Data: Don't just look at the price. Use tools like Token Terminal or Santiment to see if the number of holders is actually increasing or if it's just the same people trading back and forth.
- Separate the Hype: Keep a clear line between the crypto coin and the government department. One is a speculative asset; the other is a political entity. They move together, but they aren't the same thing.
- Watch the Whales: Since a few people control so much of the coin, follow "whale alert" accounts. If the top 10 holders start selling, the other 8 million people are going to have a rough week.
The Doge community is one of the strangest experiments in internet history. Whether it's 100 guys in a room trying to cut the federal budget or 8 million people hoping a Shiba Inu makes them rich, it's definitely not going away anytime soon.
Actionable Insight: If you are tracking the size of the Doge community to gauge investment sentiment, prioritize "Non-Zero Balance Addresses" over social media follower counts. Follower counts are often inflated by bots, but a wallet with actual money in it represents a real participant in the ecosystem. Monitor the $0.14 support level, as that is where the highest concentration of current holders entered the market.