Dogecoin Creator Defends Merge Mining

Dogecoin $DOGE co-founder Billy Markus has entered the ongoing debate over the network's mining structure, arguing that any push to remove merge mining is unnecessary and motivated by self-interest rather than technical need.

Markus Calls Removal Proposals "Pointless"

Posting under his online alias @BillyM2k ("Shibetoshi Nakamoto") on X, Markus was direct in his assessment. He framed his view as that of a community outsider with no financial stake in the outcome, stating he has no investment in any scrypt-based altcoins. In his posts, he argued that proposals should "solve actual necessary problems and not random made up ones for self-serving reasons," and that removing merge mining is pointless and should not be done.

Markus also pushed back on security concerns raised by critics. When developer Paulo Vidal questioned what would happen to Dogecoin's security if Litecoin stopped operating, Markus directed him to revisit Satoshi Nakamoto's Bitcoin white paper, arguing that miners mine for reward, a dynamic he said makes the dependency argument weak.

What Is Merge Mining and Why Does It Matter?

Merge mining, known technically as Auxiliary Proof of Work (AuxPoW), allows miners to use the same computational resources to secure more than one compatible blockchain simultaneously, without splitting their hashpower. Dogecoin and Litecoin adopted this model in August 2014, a decision that strengthened Dogecoin's defences against 51% attacks at a time when fewer miners were securing the network.

Dogecoin and Litecoin remain the largest and most profitable pairing for merge miners. The debate has drawn in developers and community members on both sides, with Dogecoin Foundation developer Paulo Vidal raising questions about whether AuxPoW remains the right long-term arrangement, particularly around Dogecoin's potential dependency on Litecoin's continued operation. The Litecoin Foundation's David Schwartz has sided with Markus in favour of keeping the current setup.

Despite his vocal presence in community discussions, Markus has not been involved in Dogecoin's technical development since 2014. He was clear in framing his comments as a personal view, not a developer directive. No formal governance decision or confirmed network proposal to remove merge mining has been announced.

Sources:
Crypto.news: Dogecoin merge mining debate heats up
Crypto Economy: Dogecoin co-founder calls ending merge mining pointless
U.Today: Dogecoin co-founder slams ending merge mining