The Timeless Lore of Pet Rocks
The story of pet rocks begins in the 1970s, when they emerged as a whimsical and low-maintenance alternative to traditional pets. Created by Gary Dahl, this quirky concept involved selling ordinary rocks packaged in a box, complete with a humorous training manual. The appeal lay in its simplicity — a pet that required no feeding, walking, or grooming. This novelty item quickly became a cultural phenomenon, embodying the humorous and often absurd nature of consumer trends during that era.
Dahl sold over one million Pet Rocks for $4 each.
Since the creation, pet rocks have been featured in movies, books and television.
The Role of Rocks in Crypto
The concept of pet rocks has surprisingly influenced the cryptocurrency world, often symbolizing stability, simplicity, and humor. This influence is reflected in commentary from notable figures in the finance and tech sectors.
Mark Cuban, a billionaire investor, humorously expressed his preference for pet rocks over Bitcoin, highlighting his skepticism towards the cryptocurrency market by saying, “I’d buy a pet rock first.” [here]
Michael Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, tweeted about the concept of “Pet Rock” assets in blockchain, emphasizing the idea of trading something with perceived value purely because of community consensus and engagement. [here]
Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, referred to Bitcoin as a “pet rock” during the World Economic Forum in Davos, criticizing its perceived lack of intrinsic value and utility, likening it to a fad. [here]
Another notable example cementing the rock narrative in crypto is EtherRock, a collection of 100 JPEG images of rocks sold as NFTs. The sale of these simple images for staggering amounts, sometimes reaching up to a million dollars, underscores the speculative and often whimsical nature of the digital asset market. [here]
