In the realm of niche TikTok trends, this might take the top prize.
In recent weeks, TikTok users are trading, collecting, and spending fictional currency called ‘dabloons’ in exchange for imaginary quests and goods.
Dabloons— a play on ‘doubloon’, the Spanish gold coins that were used as money for centuries— are fictional currency usually delivered by mysterious cats dressed in costume and using Medieval speak.
As with many chronically online trends, the concept of dabloons finds its origins in a meme— specifically, a 2021 meme of a cat extending its paw with the caption “4 dabloons”. This is presumably why dabloons are delivered by cats, usually in the form of a slideshow of cryptic photos that depict the quest to collect the allotted dabloons.
Off the back of this meme, four dabloons have become the baseline “price” of small items, like a loaf of bread, while larger items or experiences can cost more. Users may also come across videos that offer them dabloons in exchange for a quest or sometimes, for no reason at all.
Now that the joke has gained traction, users are building dabloon portfolios— keeping track of the number of dabloons they’ve received, spent, and traded to build their imaginary wealth.
While dabloons are completely fictional and unrelated to other digital assets like cryptocurrency or NFTs, user @lilac_aimee has already shared an iPhone shortcut called ‘Dabloons-R-Us’ where users can track their dabloon inventory.
And with over 400 million views on #dabloon content and counting, there’s no denying this niche trend is quickly seeping into the mainstream and could soon eventuate into a tangible digital asset in the future.