Shiba Inu token (ticker: SHIB) is a decentralized cryptocurrency created in August 2020 by an anonymous person or group known as “Ryoshi”.[1] It is named after the Shiba Inu (柴犬), a Japanese breed of dog originating in the Chūbu region, the same breed that is depicted in Dogecoin’s symbol, itself originally a satirical cryptocurrency based on the Doge meme.[2] Shiba Inu has been characterized as a “meme coin” and a pump-and-dump scheme.[3][4] There have also been concerns about the concentration of the coin with a single “whale” wallet controlling billions of dollars’ worth of the token, and frenzied buying by retail investors motivated by fear of missing out (FOMO).[5]
Shiba Inu was created in August 2020, dubbing itself the ‘Dogecoin killer’.[1] On 13 May 2021, Vitalik Buterin donated more than 50 trillion SHIB (worth over $1 billion at the time) to the India COVID-Crypto Relief Fund.[6]
In early October 2021, the exchange price of the cryptocurrency notably surged. Its value increased 240% over the week.[7] However, at the beginning of November the price dropped and continued to fall, ending the month having lost approximately 55% of its value