‘Doubloons’ or ‘dabloons’ are an online trend referring to a fabricated monetary and banking system thriving on TikTok.
And to make the whole thing stranger – the coins are handed out by cats.
With almost 820 million views currently on the dabloons hashtag (and 69.4 million views on the hashtag doubloons) who is to say whose economy will last longer?
Here’s what you should know about the unreal (no, really) currency:
What rules are there in the Doubloon economy?
Unlike regular real-world currency, dabloons are more often than not gifted for free.
There are limits to this rule, however, with an agreed cap of 100 dabloons offered at one time without trade.
Lottery tickets are also on offer, but users must look out to see if they are legitimate, which they can do by checking with other ‘travellers’.
Unfortunately, tax and debt and all the gnarly pitfalls of money exist in this economy, too. But the generosity in this system often outweighs the dangers.
A top tip from one social-media user is that guard dogs are currently at a reasonable price, but their worth may soon skyrocket – so consider this for your list of purchases.
One commenter helpfully laid out the rules for us all.
They said: “Now, the most important dabloon rule. Infinite dabloons is a scam.
“If you come across a trader offering infinite dabloons you must scroll along and ignore them.”
Another helpful tip, they added: “You must be honest with your dabloon bank and take the helpful opportunity’s [sic] when they come up. Dabloons won’t last forever!”
Meanwhile, users have been tracking their trades carefully.
One user shared a list of their purchases and said: “Can you tell I’m pretty serious about my dabloons?”
Learning from their mistakes, they remembered that it is not a requirement to buy everything they came across.
Are Dabloons or Doubloons real?
The doubloon coin was used for trading during the ‘Age of Piracy’ in the 18th century, and mentioned in many pirate tales. However, the gold coins were still legal tender from South America as far north as Canada up to the mid-19th century.
Benevolent cats are the controllers of this capital, offering their outstretched paws and deciding prices across the board.
So, although doubloons are admittedly not a permanent currency, users can enjoy their imaginary fortune while it’s around.
