Gushiken Yona
Shytoshi Kusama, the enigmatic visionary behind the Shiba Inu crypto project, has unveiled a long-term strategy that dramatically reshapes the project’s approach to its ambitious 99% burn target, prioritizing ecosystem growth and utility over simple token destruction.
The Shiba Inu community has long been captivated—and sometimes frustrated—by the goal of burning 99% of the SHIB token supply, a target inspired by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s historic burn. This ambitious goal fueled both fervent optimism and considerable skepticism.
Recently, during a pre-podcast Q&A session, Kusama addressed this directly. Responding to a follower’s question about the “timeline and roadmap of burning 99% Shib,” Kusama offered a nuanced perspective.
“Hey Fang! That’s a hard one,” Kusama began, acknowledging the complexity. “Burning 99% of Shib seemed impossible just a few years ago, but with many projects banding together, it can actually be achieved.”
They then shifted focus, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on burning as the primary success metric. “How? More and more projects—or a few mega-large ones—have to adopt the Shib tech stack. And 99% is hard for a few reasons. If a huge burn starts, people will buy expecting the price to [the] moon. This makes burning more expensive, slowing it down. It’s not the burning that matters; it’s the intention.”
Kusama’s words revealed a strategic pivot: a massive burn could hinder progress. A rapid price increase would make acquiring SHIB for burning prohibitively expensive, potentially sabotaging the effort. The focus, he emphasized, should be on the intent behind the burn.
“Burns are not the only way Shib wins,” Kusama continued, reinforcing the strategic shift. “Giving a meme coin utility and achieving viral distribution could reach a point where people don’t want to burn the token anymore. To me, that is an equally wonderful outcome.”
This marked a significant departure from previous expectations. The 99% burn, while still a long-term aspiration, is no longer the sole driver of Shiba Inu’s strategy. Kusama stressed building a robust, thriving ecosystem.
“Staking and new use cases for not only SHIB, but Bone, Leash, and Treat are equally important,” they concluded. The response, while potentially disappointing to those solely focused on the burn rate, underscored a more mature and sustainable vision.
The emphasis on utility and ecosystem growth suggests a long-term strategy to organically increase token value, potentially making a massive burn less critical. Kusama’s comments signaled a recalibration of expectations, favoring a holistic approach to long-term growth.
Community reaction has been mixed, with some expressing disappointment over the de-emphasis of the burn target. However, many embraced the new strategy.
Prominent community member Coach George (@CoachGeorgeCRA on X), offered a compelling analogy: “Actually on same page here. If McDonald’s destroyed 10 million hamburgers & only sold 1,000 limited edition… only a few eccentric millionaires may pay $1K for the cheeseburger. Wouldn’t they be better off selling 10 million cheeseburgers for a dollar daily? (Mass adoption).”
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Yona has no crypto positions and does not hold any crypto assets. This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The Shib Daily is an official media and publication of the Shiba Inu cryptocurrency project. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial adviser before making any investment decisions.
