The things that people have so devotedly underestimated over time are simply too many. There has always been someone who couldn’t help but tell the world, “Look at that, that could never work, it is undoubtedly pathetic”. And they laughed, and laughed, and laughed again, until one day that so-called pathetic, impossible-to-succeed little thing became something so much greater than they could ever dream of reaching. Funny, right? Or maybe not. It probably stops being funny when you’re forced to witness the rebirth of something you so effortlessly mocked. It can hurt, and honestly, it should hurt, at least a little. Because while no one can make you applaud something you don’t believe in, you could’ve simply let it be. As simple as that.
Does this scenario sound familiar to you? Perhaps. However, today, we’re not going to talk about your story, but rather that of Shiba Inu, also known as SHIB in the cryptocurrency landscape. Emphasizing how what began as a joke, or even better, a parody, evolved beyond its comic origins and turned into a cultural and financial movement. In the crowded world of crypto, where memes often outshine substance, the Shiba Inu Coin did it. And if this story proves anything, it’s that real innovation can, and often does, rise from humor.
Many great things have emerged, despite once being seen as jokes, failures, or unimportant, including Impressionism, Franz Kafka, The Beatles, Star Wars, the Germ theory, Airbnb, Hamilton, and Bitcoin. And yes, apparently, so did Shiba Inu. So, as a primary focus, this article will obviously delve into the story of Shiba Inu, and then, after everything is clear, we’ll talk about how important it actually is to keep going, even when everybody else seems to feed on the fantasy that you’ll never make it.
The Story Behind Shiba Inu, The Meme Phenomenon
Let’s go back in time to August 2020, more precisely, when an anonymous creator, operating under the identity of Ryoshi, launched Shiba Inu Coin, envisioning it as a mere experiment in decentralized community building. Nevertheless, Shib had no choice but to embrace its identity as a meme coin, facing increased skepticism from the masses who approached it as just another meme coin that could only wish to attain the success and headlines Dogecoin has made. But little did they know the Shiba Inu community prepared something else, dedicating significant time and effort to prove the naysayers wrong. From the very beginning, Shiba Inu employed a strategic distribution model, locking 50% of its supply in Uniswap, a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange protocol built on the Ethereum blockchain, while the other 50% was allocated to Vitalik Buterin, the Ethereum co-founder. This move, while initially misunderstood by many, has set the stage for SHIB’s explosive growth, proving itself to be very intentional. Here’s how:
- By locking half of the total supply in Uniswap and destroying the keys, SHIB creators have made the liquidity pool immutable. This move created trust, as investors were relieved to know the team couldn’t rug pull the liquidity, as such scams were relatively common in the landscape. Moreover, through this decision, SHIB was decentralized from day one, aligning with crypto values and fueling organic scams.
- By sending the other half to Vitalik Buterin, with no prior agreement, they have both created perceived scarcity, as these tokens were basically off the market, and added a celebrity effect, with countless individuals speculating what Vitalik would do, a factor that obviously has driven interest.
But When Did Shib Exactly Become A Phenomenon? Was There Any Key Moment?
If we were to depict a key moment of SHIB’s sudden explosive global attention, then we’d probably highlight how Vitalik Buterin burned 410 trillion SHIB tokens, which were worth around $6.7 BILLION at the time. Yes, this is not the easiest news to cope with. Moving on, Vitalik Buterin sent them to a dead wallet, permanently removing them from circulation. Nevertheless, they were gone, aside from 50 trillion SHIB, worth over $1 billion, which he chose to donate to India’s COVID-19 relief fund. And of course, the SHIB price surged, because that’s how the world works. The media holds tremendous power, no matter the facet. And at that time, the media exploded, with countless headlines that implied the name of SHIB and Vitalik Buterin. And basically, that was it. Crypto traders, retail investors, meme coin enthusiasts, and even people outside the crypto who were heavily influenced by the humanitarian angle, were all hooked.
It’s In The Silence Of Doubt And Dismissal That True Resilience Is Forged
Sometimes, you have to let their doubt be your fuel. When no one believes in you, and the support is nowhere to be found, that’s your beginning. Whether anybody ever told you that, you should know that you don’t need applause to move. Courage and confidence are all that it takes. You should never let your beliefs come from others, for they actually come from you, from showing up, working late, pushing through, and choosing not to give up. The world catches on only after you’ve already decided you’re unstoppable. Let that sink in. All the greatest innovators, artists, leaders, and founders were met with disbelief before they ever saw success, and guess what they did? They approached the crowd’s reaction as an invitation to rise.
Your humble beginnings are not your limitation, and you don’t even need perfect conditions or outside validation to grow. The freedom is all yours. To fail. To learn. To evolve without judgment. And honestly, when the moment finally comes, and the world opens its eyes to see what you’ve become, it won’t be because they carried you there. It was you all along. You did the work. You stayed up late when no one was watching. You kept showing up when the result didn’t come. You pushed through fear, failure, and silence. Don’t let anyone call it luck.
