What is Shiba Inu (SHIB)?

Shiba Inu is a memecoin: a token whose value rests mostly on popularity and community rather than on a product. Lesson 11 explains memecoins. SHIB is a token on Ethereum.

Where it came from

SHIB launched on Ethereum in August 2020. Its creator is anonymous and goes by the name Ryoshi.

It started with a supply of 1 quadrillion tokens: a 1 followed by 15 zeros. The creators sent a large part of it to Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum. In May 2021 he burned about 410 trillion SHIB, about 41% of the supply, and gave another portion to charity.

How it works

SHIB is a token, not a coin with its own blockchain. Lesson 9 explains the difference. It moves on Ethereum and pays Ethereum's fees.

In August 2023 the project launched Shibarium, a separate network built on top of Ethereum to make SHIB transfers cheaper. Lesson 33 explains how such networks connect to Ethereum through bridges.

Supply

• About 589 trillion SHIB remain after burns, down from 1 quadrillion.

A huge number of tokens means a tiny price per token. That says nothing about value. Lesson 17 explains why market value matters more than the price of one token.

What people use it for

Mostly holding and trading.

Risks to know

• No underlying business. Memecoin prices rest on attention, which can disappear. Lesson 11 covers this.
• Bridge risk. On 13 September 2025, an attacker took about $2.3 million in ETH and SHIB from the Shibarium bridge after gaining control of 10 of its 12 validator keys. No recovery had been reported days later.
• Copies and scams. Many tokens use similar names and logos. Lesson 37 shows how to check you have the real one.
• Violent price swings. SHIB can fall far and fast.

Learn more

Lesson 11 covers memecoins, Lesson 9 explains coins and tokens, and the Dogecoin guide describes the original dog-themed memecoin.