Billy Markus, the same person who later created Dogecoin, quietly launched Bellscoin. The idea came from Animal Crossing’s in-game currency.
Bellscoin struggled to catch on at first. The digital world looks completely different now – meme coins have grown so much that their total market cap sits at $60 billion. Bellscoin has made quite a comeback, reaching a $7.48 million market cap in 2024. This shows how even the oldest meme coins can find their place in today’s crypto world.
Let me tell you the untold story of Bellscoin, how it connects to Animal Crossing, and the way it paved the path for all the meme coins we see today.
What is Bellscoin? The First Meme Coin Explained
Bellscoin is the sort of thing I love about cryptocurrency history that stayed hidden behind its famous successor. Billy Markus, a software engineer, created Bellscoin in November 2013. It came out a few days before Dogecoin and stands as the true first meme coin in the crypto world.
Origin story and Animal Crossing connection
Nintendo’s popular game series “Animal Crossing” sparked the idea for Bellscoin in an unexpected way. Players in this heartwarming community simulation game earn “Bells” by collecting fruits, catching bugs, fishing, and digging for fossils.
Markus saw a chance to build a digital currency that matched Animal Crossing’s charming money system. He shared his thoughts on the Bitcoin Talk Forum: “In the Animal Crossing universe, Bells are the primary form of currency. To gather them, you must collect fruits, catch bugs, fish, dig for fossils, etc. and trade those items for Bells. In the crypto world, we just mine for them!”
This fun link to gaming culture became a model for future meme coins. Markus wanted Bellscoin to be available to regular users. His design reflected Animal Crossing’s friendly, community-focused nature.
The connection between early meme coins and gaming culture shows up in both Bellscoin and Dogecoin’s genesis blocks. They both feature the word “Nintondo,” a playful nod to Nintendo.
Technical specifications
Behind its playful surface, Bellscoin runs on solid technical foundations:
Consensus Algorithm: Bellscoin uses the Scrypt algorithm. This makes it harder for ASIC mining to dominate and lets everyday miners use regular hardware
Block Generation: New blocks appear every 60 seconds. Difficulty adjustments happen every 4 hours
Total Supply: Capped at 500 million coins
Unique Reward System: Unlike Bitcoin’s predictable halving, Bellscoin rewards miners randomly:
- 50% chance of 50 coins
- 20% chance of 100 coins
- 14% chance of 250 coins
- 10% chance of 500 coins
- 5% chance of 1000 coins
- 1% chance of 10000 coins
This random reward system makes mining feel like a game. It matches the surprise rewards players find in Animal Crossing.
Bellscoin also went through a major technical upgrade in 2023. Billy Markus suggested merged mining with Litecoin and Dogecoin. This change improved network security and made mining more efficient.
Bellscoin might have started in obscurity, but its technical design and gaming roots laid the groundwork for today’s multi-billion dollar meme coin ecosystem.
The Untold History: How Bellscoin Predated Dogecoin
People often think Dogecoin started the meme coin trend in crypto. But a deeper dive into blockchain history tells a different story. Bellscoin came first and laid the groundwork that shaped the entire meme coin movement.
Timeline of early meme coins
The real story of meme coins starts on November 28, 2013, when Billy Markus shared Bellscoin on BitcoinTalk. Just eight days later, Dogecoin made its first appearance on December 6, 2013. This small time gap helps explain why many people missed Bellscoin’s role as a pioneer.
The dates tell us why Bellscoin stands as the original meme coin template:
- November 2013: Bellscoin launches, taking inspiration from Animal Crossing
- December 2013: Dogecoin arrives and becomes the first big meme coin success
- 2020: Shiba Inu shows up as the first major “copycat” coin
- 2021: Meme coins start to spread, then crash during the crypto bear market
- December 2023: Bellscoin makes a comeback, reaching a USD 60 million market cap
Billy Markus’s trip from Bellscoin to Dogecoin
The story of how Markus went from Bellscoin to Dogecoin marks an interesting turn in crypto history. After he created Bellscoin without much attention, he worked with Jackson Palmer on something new. Dogecoin turned out to be basically a fork of Bellscoin that took just about 5 minutes to create.
The connection becomes clear in Dogecoin’s genesis block, which contains the message “Nintondo” – a direct copy from Bellscoin’s original code. So even though Dogecoin became hugely popular, it built its technical foundation on its predecessor.
Why history overlooked Bellscoin
A few things explain why Bellscoin faded away while Dogecoin caught everyone’s attention:
Timing played a vital role. The lukewarm response to Bellscoin made Markus quickly switch to a new idea. The Shiba Inu dog mascot also proved easier to recognize and share than the Animal Crossing connection.
At the time Bellscoin launched, nobody had heard of “meme coins” as a category. Dogecoin ended up defining this new crypto space, which made it look like it came first.
Over the last several years, Bellscoin stayed quiet until crypto historians like Adam McBride found its importance during Dogecoin’s tenth anniversary celebrations in 2023. This discovery sparked a revival that has gained strong support in the crypto community.
Bellscoin in 2025: Current Status and Ecosystem
Bellscoin, the first meme coin that ever spread, has found its place in the crypto world after staying under the radar for years.
Market position and value
Bellscoin trades at USD 0.16 with a 24-hour trading volume close to USD 587,790. The project’s market capitalization stands at USD 9.67 million, putting it at rank #1443 on CoinGecko. These numbers are nowhere near its all-time high of USD 3.74.
The coin’s circulating supply of 60 million BELLS and maximum cap of 500 million mean that a lack of supply could drive future valuations higher.
Community growth
Bellscoin’s community has built a modest following, earning a “C” grade (60/100) for community involvement. Overall sentiment stays neutral rather than negative.
The coin stands out through collaboration with digital artists and NFT creators. This approach has made it popular in creative and decentralized communities. These strategic collaborations have brought new energy to the project.
Development updates
Bellscoin’s merged mining capabilities with Litecoin and Dogecoin have substantially improved network security. The team works with major mining pools, including Binance’s pool, which helps attract more miners.
A key 2025 update caps mining rewards at 1 million BELLS yearly, which creates more scarcity. The project launched an Ethereum cross-chain bridge that expands its ecosystem and makes it more accessible.
State-of-the-art features like support for inscriptions (known as “Bellinals”) show this original meme coin has grown beyond its nostalgic roots.
How to Get Bellscoin Today
Want to get your hands on the first meme coin ever created? Getting Bellscoin in 2025 is straightforward if you understand your options.
Exchanges listing Bellscoin
Several reputable cryptocurrency exchanges list Bellscoin. These main platforms let you trade BELLS:
CoinEx: Supports trading in two pairs (USDT and BTC) with privacy-focused features that don’t require KYC verification for withdrawals under USD 10,000.
Gate.io: A pioneer in cryptocurrency trading that serves more than 10 million customers in over 130 countries.
MEXC: A user-friendly exchange with 0% spot and futures maker fees.
The golden rule of crypto investing applies here: never invest more than you can afford to lose. This rule becomes even more vital with volatile assets like meme coins.
Mining Bellscoin in 2025
Mining offers another way to get Bellscoin. The coin uses the Scrypt algorithm, as with Litecoin and Dogecoin. Miners can now earn rewards for LTC, DOGE, and BEL simultaneously without extra costs, thanks to merged mining introduced at block height 144,000.
ViaBTC leads the pack as a mining pool supporting this three-way merged mining setup. Bellscoin’s mining brings in about USD 500,000 daily, making it the sixth most profitable coin to mine after Litecoin.
The upcoming Epoch 4 (expected within 65 days) will reduce rewards by 80-90% once block height 25900 hits.
Storing your BEL safely
Keeping your Bellscoin secure is a top priority. Hardware wallets offer the best security by storing private keys offline.
Trust Wallet, Ledger, MetaMask, and several other wallets support Bellscoin. Buy hardware wallets directly from manufacturers or authorized resellers to ensure maximum security.
Your wallet’s seed phrase needs strong protection. Metal storage solutions are a great way to keep this recovery key safe from damage or loss.
Conclusion
Bellscoin is evidence of cryptocurrency breakthroughs that shows how innovative ideas can find new life years after creation. This original meme coin stayed in Dogecoin’s shadow for years before it built a thriving ecosystem worth millions.
Bellscoin’s story is a great way to get insights into cryptocurrency development. The project started with simple Animal Crossing inspiration and became the foundation for today’s multi-billion dollar meme coin market. Bellscoin now offers historical value and practical utility with its merged mining capabilities and growing exchange support.
You can trade on exchanges like CoinEx and Gate.io or mine through ViaBTC. Note that you should practice proper security measures. Your BEL tokens should be stored in reliable hardware wallets with protected seed phrases.
The cryptocurrency markets keep changing, and Bellscoin’s rise from forgotten pioneer to active player proves that genuine breakthroughs find their audience eventually. This original meme coin’s resilience suggests it will stay relevant in crypto history, though past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.
