What is Shiba Inu (SHIB)? It has gone from being a simple meme coin to becoming a major player in the cryptocurrency market.

2025/10/02 15:16 (Updated 2025/10/02 15:18)
Editors of Iolite
Written by Iolite Editorial Department
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What is Shiba Inu (SHIB)? It has gone from being a simple meme coin to becoming a major player in the cryptocurrency market.

What is a Shiba Inu (SHIB)?

Shiba Inu (SHIB) is a type of meme coin that emerged in 2020. What started as a "joke currency (=meme coin)" in the cryptocurrency market quickly attracted the attention of the community and grew to become one of the top coins in terms of market capitalization. Behind this growth are comparisons with Dogecoin (DOGE), its ability to spread on social media, and the existence of a strong user-driven community.

The birth and growth history of the Shiba Inu (SHIB)

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Shibainu (SHIB) was launched in August 2020 by anonymous developer "Ryoshi." Built on the Ethereum (ETH) blockchain, the token initially touted itself as a "Dogecoin killer."

Shibainu (SHIB) has an incredibly large supply of 1,000 trillion coins, with roughly half of that initially sent to Ethereum (ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin. Shibainu (SHIB) then catapulted into the spotlight after Buterin subsequently burned some of the coins and donated them to a large-scale fundraising effort. This episode gave Shibainu (SHIB) a "narrative," boosting its price and support.

Evolution of the Shiba Inu (SHIB) ecosystem

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Shibainu (SHIB) is no longer just a meme coin; it is evolving into an autonomous, decentralized ecosystem. At its heart is the decentralized exchange (DEX) ShibaSwap. This DEX functionally connects Shibainu (SHIB) with other tokens, including LEASH and BONE, and offers services such as trading, staking, and liquidity provision.

A token burning mechanism called "SHIB BURN" is also underway to gradually reduce the supply. The community's voluntary commitment to promoting the burn in order to increase Shibainu's value sets it apart from other meme coins.

Furthermore, a governance model is being introduced through the Shiba DAO, allowing Shibainu (SHIB) holders to participate in decision-making. This puts the future of Shibainu (SHIB) in the hands of users themselves, not just developers.

Differences and differentiation from other meme coins

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Shibainu (SHIB) stands out from traditional meme coins such as Dogecoin (DOGE). While Dogecoin (DOGE) is a "joke currency" with little development updates, Shibainu (SHIB) has placed emphasis on continuous development and ecosystem expansion.

For example, Shibainu (SHIB) is pursuing practicality and scalability through the development of ShibaSwap, which offers decentralized finance (DeFi) functionality, integration with NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and even expansion into the metaverse. Furthermore, as a product compatible with Web 3.0, integration with dApps (decentralized apps) is also underway.

These factors have elevated Shibainu (SHIB) from a mere meme coin to establishing itself as a next-generation crypto asset (virtual currency).

Shiba Inu (SHIB) price trends and future outlook

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Shiba Inu (SHIB) past year chart (source: CoinMarketCap)

Current price: ¥0.001855

As of October 2, 2025 (CoinMarketCap "Shiba Inu (SHIB) Price, Chart, and Market Cap")

The price of Shibainu (SHIB) has shown great volatility since its launch. In 2021, triggered by tweets from Elon Musk and other factors, it recorded a price increase of several thousand percent in a short period of time. Its listing on major cryptocurrency exchanges such as Binance and Coinbase further fueled its price rise.

While the price is currently stabilizing, the progress of "SHIB BURN" is leading to a decline in medium- to long-term supply, which could drive up prices in the market.

Also attracting attention is its full-scale entry into the metaverse. The "SHIB: The Metaverse" project will build a Shibainu (SHIB) world within a virtual space, featuring land sales, NFT avatars, gaming features, and more.

If these use cases are realized, Shibainu (SHIB) will be positioned not only as an investment target, but also as a brand that provides "experience value" in the Web 3.0 era.

Benefits and risks of investing in Shiba Inu (SHIB)

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シバイヌ(SHIB)に投資する最大のメリットは、極めて高いボラティリティにより、短期的な価格急騰によるリターンを得られる可能性である。特に、供給のバーン(焼却)やメタバース実装などのニュースが価格変動の材料になりやすい。

また、強力なコミュニティの存在もシバイヌ(SHIB)の大きな強みである。オンライン上での情報発信や、コミュニティイベントを通じて支持層を拡大し続けている点は、ほかのミームコインにはみられない特徴である。

一方、投資リスクも少なくない。まず、価格の上下動が極めて大きく、短期的な値崩れが発生しやすい。また、世界各国で進行中の暗号資産(仮想通貨)規制強化の流れによっては、取り扱い制限が加えられる可能性もある。

したがって、シバイヌ(SHIB)への投資は、暗号資産(仮想通貨)ポートフォリオにおける「ハイリスク・ハイリターン枠」として位置付けるべきである。適切なリスク分散と情報収集が欠かせない。

Shibainu (SHIB) is more than just a meme coin

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Shibainu (SHIB) has evolved from its origins as a meme coin into a crypto asset (virtual currency) that combines practicality and scalability.

Through community-driven development and innovative initiatives, it has the potential to become a central player in the Web 3.0 era. By taking a different path from Dogecoin (DOGE), Shibainu (SHIB) is transforming from a meme coin into a "crypto asset (virtual currency) that will pave the way for the future."

Going forward, Shibainu (SHIB) use cases and the progress of related projects are expected to have a major impact on its price.


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Iolite Vol.16

November 2025 issueReleased on 2025/09/30
Interview with Iolite FACE vol.16, concon Inc. CEO Fumiyoshi Takahashi PHOTO & INTERVIEW: Takanori Kataishi Feature: "2026: Abnormal Adoption Frontlines!!" "Prepare for Bitcoin's Golden Month" "Three US Bills: Promoting Innovation or Preventing Surveillance? A Major Restructuring of US Crypto Policy: What Does the Three Major Bills Paint for the Future?" Crypto Journey: "The Crypto Industry's 'Shadow Guardian' Sees Global Security Transformation" Interview with Hacken CEO Dima Budrin Series: "An Expert's Perspective on the Fluctuating Cryptocurrency Market" Virtual Nishi Series: Tech and Future: Toshinao Sasaki, etc.