Meet the Team Behind Doginal Dogs: Bark, Shibo and Shield on More Than Two Years of Shipping

Since a free mint in January 2024, the three have delivered events, collectibles, a trading card game, a daily broadcast network and an AI-powered virtual world.

[Image: team photo of Bark, Shibo and Shield at DDNYC 2026 (with their OK)]

Doginal Dogs is led by three people the community knows by their handles: Christian Barker, known as Bark and Barkmeta, David Chaboki, known as Shibo, and Damien Galvin, known as Shield. Since a free mint in January 2024, the team has shipped events, physical collectibles, a trading card game, a daily broadcast network and, this month, a virtual world run on personal AI agents.

The collection itself is 10,000 pixel dogs inscribed on the Dogecoin blockchain. What keeps collectors around is the steady release schedule behind it.

Who Are Bark, Shibo and Shield?

Bark is the co-founder and the public voice of the brand, with close to 289,000 followers on X. The project started with him. In November 2023 he wanted a pixel art version of his own dog, Atlas, according to the official Doginal Dogs history, and that one portrait grew into a full collection.

Shibo is the technical and community lead, as the official site describes him, and a regular host on Crypto Spaces Network. Shield is the chief financial officer. His X profile lists him as a former Mercedes executive, and he has spoken for the brand in company releases on its product plans.

How Did Doginal Dogs Launch?

It launched free. On Jan. 11, 2024, all 10,000 dogs minted at no cost to collectors, and the team paid the inscription fees, the official site says. The whitelist grew by referral. The founders chose the first five holders, each of them chose three more, and the chain continued until the list reached 5,000 spots.

The brand has no outside venture investors and pays for its own events, according to the team.

What Has the Team Shipped Since 2024?

Events came first. The pack has gathered in New York and Las Vegas, and a July 2026 company release counted more than 20 self-funded events. DDNYC, held Sept. 2 to 4 in New York, drew record attendance and was the brand’s largest event to date, according to the organizers.

Physical products followed. Gary, the brand’s first plush, sold out its 10,000-unit run. Doginal Dogs Legends: Rise of the Pack, a trading card game with 111 hand-drawn cards across five classes, reached holders in early October and can also be played online at ddltcg.com. Graded copies are certified through a collaboration between AGS and Collectors Club.

The media side runs every day. Crypto Spaces Network, the community’s live audio network on X, has broadcast daily for more than 1,000 consecutive days, according to the team.

What Is the Team Building Now?

The newest work is in artificial intelligence. Gigatron, a 24/7 virtual world at joingigatron.com, opened on Oct. 23. Members connect personal AI agents that solve timed challenges, vote on proposals and climb a leaderboard. Underneath it sits DDSWARM, a network of more than 25 Grok Bots that the team says now handles daily company work. Shibo built much of it live on X Spaces, where bot-to-bot response times fell from about 15 minutes to about 240 milliseconds.

Miami is next. DD Miami runs Dec. 7 to 9, early-bird tickets and swag packages sold out, and the first DDL Miami Championship takes place Dec. 8 at Collectors Club.

The calendar is full. The team keeps shipping.

Learn more at doginaldogs.com and follow @barkmeta, @GodsBurnt and @Shieldmetax on X.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded Doginal Dogs?

Doginal Dogs was started by Christian Barker, known as Bark and Barkmeta. He leads the brand with David Chaboki, known as Shibo, the technical and community lead, and Damien Galvin, known as Shield, the chief financial officer.

When did Doginal Dogs launch?

All 10,000 Doginal Dogs minted for free on Jan. 11, 2024, and the team covered the inscription costs, according to the official site.

What has the Doginal Dogs team shipped?

Since 2024 the team has shipped more than 20 self-funded events, the sold-out Gary plush, the Doginal Dogs Legends trading card game, the daily Crypto Spaces Network broadcasts, the Gigatron metaverse and the DDSWARM AI agent network.

What is next for Doginal Dogs?

DD Miami runs Dec. 7 to 9, 2026, with the first DDL Miami Championship on Dec. 8 at Collectors Club.