With the recent rise in meme tokens and dog-themed coins, any coins with a Shiba Inu (a Japanese breed of dog) mascot seem to attract all the right kinds of attention. With the real Shiba Inu (SHIB) token winning "investment vehicle" of the year in 2021 after posting unbelievable gains, many are still wondering whether Shiba Inu is still a good token?
Where Did It All Begin?
A golden rule of getting in crypto is to understand exactly what you're buying in before taking the plunge. Before we explore Shiba Inu's history, we must start at the beginning with Dogecoin. Dogecoin was the original meme token and entered the crypto scene in 2013. The coin was designed to provide a "light-hearted" alternative to Bitcoin, poking fun at the seriousness of the crypto community at the time with its Shiba Inu logo.
As it turned out, Dogecoin built a strong and loyal following that has stuck by the coin ever since. It wasn't until 2020 when Tesla CEO Elon Musk became vocal on Twitter about the cryptocurrency that DOGE truly went viral.
What is Shiba Inu Coin?
Musk's interest in Dogecoin aligned nicely with the launch of Shiba Inu, which officially went live in August 2020. It wasn't long before SHIB climbed the ranks and became the biggest meme token on the market based on market capitalization, albeit for a brief moment. While it was dubbed in comparison as the "Doge Killer", Dogecoin still held the most value. It's worth noting that each time Musk mentioned Dogecoin in writing, Shiba Inu enjoyed some of that success and popularity as displayed by its growth.
Shiba Inu is an ERC-20 token built on the Ethereum platform that powers the Shiba Inu network. The platform features a range of products, from an exchange to an art incubator, and is compatible with a wide range of apps due to its Ethereum based nature. Trading for a fraction of a US cent, Shiba Inu offers a cost-effective way to enter the crypto market. Several businesses have also started accepting the cryptocurrency, allowing customers to pay for sales with SHIB.
How Is Shiba Inu Different From Dogecoin?
A great place to start when trying to understand SHIB is to determine the differences between these two biggest meme tokens. Starting with Dogecoin, the network provides a fast and cheap peer-to-peer payment system that is commonly used for tipping on social media platforms.
Shiba Inu on the other hand is a little bit more complex. The platform provides a decentralized exchange (DEX) known as ShibaSwap which allows users to earn interest, as well as two other tokens, BONE and LEASH. The project describes itself as an experiment in decentralization.
Shiba Inu is built on top of the Ethereum protocol, with the tokens created using various token standards, SHIB being an ERC-20 token. This makes it highly compatible with ETH wallets and most DeFi apps, while DOGE requires a specific wallet. These are all reasons as to why investors are calling it the Doge Killer.
Does Shiba Inu (SHIB) Have a Future?
In 2021, Shiba Inu saw gains of 53,241,775%. Investors that bought $2 worth of SHIB on 1 January would have been sitting on millions of dollars worth of returns at the height of the bull run. That's enough to make any digital currency enthusiast look twice.
So far in 2022, the markets have been predominately down, with Bitcoin and Ethereum falling roughly 35% from their highs in November. Shiba Inu on the other hand has lost around 70% of its value since its all-time high in October 2021. Despite this, it has seen upward swings since, gaining a large amount of value in early February.
The surge is believed to be contributed to by an Italian fast-food chain called Welly's. Welly's is also Shiba Inu-themed and accepts the cryptocurrency as a form of payment. Two other believed catalysts are the upcoming Shibarium (Shiba Inu's latest blockchain project) designed to reduce transaction fees and the project's vocalized intentions of entering the metaverse.
Can Shiba Inu Coin Reach $1?
A popular question among crypto afficionados is whether Shiba Inu can reach $1. While there is certainly speculation in the market that this is possible over a substantial period of time, as with any cryptocurrency there is no guarantee on how much money it will be worth in the future. With the price affected by supply and demand economics, there will need to be a considerable amount of hype and demand for the cryptocurrency in order to it to reach that value.
While Shiba Inu could be a promising token should it skyrocket again, it is still considered to be a risky token. The cryptocurrency certainly has an attractive price point and a number of use cases, however, it is also in its early stages as a crypto and is currently less widely accepted when compared to other cryptocurrencies.
As the world waits on authority news regarding the regulatory framework surrounding cryptocurrencies, there are definitive hurdles that need to be reached before the Shiba Inu coin reaches $1, should it do so. There are currently over 545 trillion SHIB in circulation. For your protection, ensure that you never put more funds than you're willing to lose.
How Can I Buy Shiba Inu In The UK?
In love with SHIB or Shiba inus in general? Should you wish to purchase some Shiba Inu (SHIB) with your British pounds (GBP), you can do so easily and securely through the Tap mobile app, from where you can also store the tokens. Tap accepts GBP and supports faster payments for lightning-fast top-ups while allowing users to buy, sell, and engage in a number of cryptocurrency markets and services.
How Can I Buy Shiba Inu In Europe?
In love with SHIB in europe? We got you covered. Should you wish to purchase some Shiba Inu ( SHIB ) with Euros, you can do so with ease and securely through the Tap mobile app, from where you can also store the tokens. Tap accepts Euro and supports SEPA transfers to enable all EU & EEA traders and investors to buy, sell, and engage in a number of cryptocurrency markets and services.
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