Dogecoin Bets Spike to $1.3B as Trump Popularity Sees DOGE Rocket 15%

• Interest in Dogecoin futures is approaching all-time highs from April, with a 33% increase in open interest since Sunday, now standing at 8 billion tokens.
• Traders are attributing this price movement to Trump's popularity and the potential establishment of a "Department of Government Efficiency" (D.O.G.E).
• Elon Musk's discussions on creating a D.O.G.E. for government efficiency, combined with Trump's promise to involve Musk in a government efficiency commission if re-elected, have fueled bullish sentiments among traders.

Futures interest in dogecoin (DOGE) is swiftly rising and nearing record levels from April, thanks to renewed trading interest in the token on the possibility of its abbreviation becoming a part of Republican Donald Trump’s administration.

DOGE prices are up 15% in the past 24 hours, CoinGecko shows, after an Elon Musk appearance at a Trump rally and a later X post of himself with the DOGE avatar. Traders are terming the price spike as a play on “Trump’s popularity,” as reported.

DOGE-denominated futures have risen 33% since Sunday to 8 billion tokens as of European morning hours Tuesday. That’s just 12% away from a lifetime record of 9 billion DOGE in open interest.

In stablecoin terms, the DOGE bets have spiked from $850 million to $1.3 billion, CoinGlass data shows.

OI refers to the total number of outstanding derivative contracts, such as futures or options, that have not been settled. High open interest indicates that there is significant interest in a particular asset. When open interest increases along with rising prices, it suggests new money is coming into the market, indicating a strengthening trend - such as Tuesday’s.

Higher open interest in token can lead to increased volatility, especially as contracts near expiration. Traders might rush to close, roll over, or adjust positions, which can lead to significant price movements.

Musk has gotten closer to Trump in the past few months with increased donations and endorsements. On various talk shows, he has talked about creating a “Department of Government Efficiency,” abbreviated as D.O.G.E, in a quest to make government spending more efficient.

Trump has said he would enlist Musk to run a “government efficiency commission” if he wins a second term as U.S. president, per BBC.

Some traders have jumped on that narrative as a bullish catalyst in the near term.

“Elon is memeing the idea of a 'Department of Government Efficiency' into reality and is able to tie it to DOGE somehow,” influential X account @theunipcs told CoinDesk in a message. “If we get a Trump win after the U.S. elections next week, i expect an even more parabolic move in dogecoin and the 'Department of Government Efficiency' ETH memecoin because it becomes a certainty that the department will be set up.”

“There will likely a multi-month delay between Trump winning and his inauguration as well as such a department being actually set up, and that provides a solid trade opportunity,” @theunipcs added. The trader was among the first individuals to publicly state the D.O.G.E trade thesis.

DOGE prices are up more than 30% since CoinDesk first reported on the D.O.G.E trade gaining interest among traders.