DogeOS launched a public testnet on September 30, 2026, delivering an EVM-compatible zero-knowledge rollup that allows developers to run Ethereum-style smart contracts while using DOGE to pay gas. Built by the MyDoge team, DogeOS opens a live environment for projects to experiment without prior invites; previous access had been limited to a private testnet. Named projects building on the testnet include Barkswap, Superposition Finance, Derps, Split Markets, USDoge, Snag, Anoncoin, Starbase, Doge Escape, PlaysOut and DogeFundMe, targeting use cases such as trading, lending, perpetual products, options, collateralized stablecoins, prediction-market aggregation, launchpads and games.
Technically, DogeOS is a ZK-rollup that settles its state to Dogecoin, but the underlying Dogecoin base layer does not yet verify the rollup’s ZK proofs natively. The DogeOS team submitted an OP_CHECKZKP proposal to Dogecoin Core on July 22, 2025, which would add native ZK-proof verification; that change has not been implemented. Until such an upgrade, DogeOS relies on a security model combining valid proofs, signatures from a majority of validators, a trusted execution environment, and a permissioned sequencer, according to the team’s statements.
DogeOS’ backstory includes a $6.9 million funding round announced in May 2025 led by Polychain Capital to support application-layer development and tooling. MyDoge CEO Jordan Jefferson said the team will announce a mainnet timeline after reaching development milestones, while Dogecoin Foundation director Timothy Stebbing expressed hopes that DogeOS could catalyze startup activity on Dogecoin. The public testnet provides a rehearsal space for developers, though testnet tokens typically carry no real value and testnet activity does not guarantee mainnet adoption. Separately, the news cycle noted Bitwise’s scheduled closure of the BWOW Dogecoin ETF for U.S. investors and its related redemption timetable.