Dogecoin Merged-Mining Debate Resurfaces Amid Technical Buy Signals

Headline: Dogecoin merge-mining debate reignites as DOGE flashes technical buy signals The long-running debate over Dogecoin’s merged-mining setup has flared up again — and it’s happening as the token posts tentative signs of a short-term bounce. What’s new - Dogecoin co-founder Billy Markus pushed back publicly against proposals to end the network’s merged-mining arrangement with Litecoin and other Scrypt chains. Posting on X, Markus called abandoning merged mining “dumb and pointless,” framing his comment as a personal view and noting he no longer develops Dogecoin or holds investments in Scrypt-based altcoins. - The dispute is largely conceptual so far: no formal governance decision or confirmed proposal to remove merged mining has been put forward. Why merged mining matters - Merged mining (supported by Dogecoin since 2014) lets miners use the same Scrypt-based work to secure multiple blockchains and collect rewards across them. Under the current model Litecoin remains the primary partner mined alongside DOGE. - Supporters say merged mining economically incentivizes miners to secure Dogecoin while they mine Litecoin. Critics worry that tying Dogecoin’s security so closely to another network could create dependency or centralize incentives. Markus’ stance and next steps - Markus argued the change would solve “no necessary problem” and suggested proposals to end merged mining could be self-serving. But he does not control protocol changes — any modification would require developer work and broad community support. Market context: modest recovery, mixed signals - Price: According to crypto.news data, DOGE traded near $0.0734 on July 21, up about 2.14% in 24 hours and 1.86% over seven days, but still more than 11% lower than a month earlier. - Technicals: Analyst Ali Martinez highlighted a rare streak of weekly TD Sequential buy signals on July 21, a setup that can precede a larger rally but is far from a guarantee. The same indicator produced a buy signal in June after DOGE fell from $0.113 to $0.078; traders then watched $0.096–$0.100 as a reclaim level to weaken a bigger bearish structure. - Near-term resistance: Market data cited resistance near $0.0754 and $0.0797; DOGE needs to clear these to strengthen the recovery case. - On-chain and derivatives: Whales accumulated roughly 200 million DOGE (about $14 million). Futures open interest rose ~3.74% to about $1.08 billion, indicating increased derivatives activity. However, U.S. Dogecoin ETFs had gone a month without new inflows as of July 17, suggesting weaker institutional demand. Risks and outlook - Liquidation clusters close to the current price could keep volatility elevated. The technical signals and whale buying point to a possible short-term rebound, but DOGE remains below key resistance bands and long-term trend improvements aren’t confirmed. - The merged-mining discussion concerns network security and mining economics more than immediate market moves. Any change would require technical coordination and broad community buy-in, not just founder opinion. Bottom line Dogecoin’s merge-mining model — a core part of its security since 2014 — is under renewed discussion, but proponents and defenders like Billy Markus argue scrapping it would be unnecessary. Meanwhile, traders are watching improving technical setups and whale accumulation, even as institutional flows and longer-term price structure remain soft. Disclosure: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.