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Shiba Inu News: Whale Controls 41% of SHIB Supply—Is Ryoshi Back?

Published by
Vignesh S G and Sohrab Khawas

Shiba Inu, the second-largest memecoin by market cap, is back in the spotlight. Not because of its impressive 19.7% gain over the last two weeks, but due to one shocking revelation.

According to new data from a well-known blockchain analytics platform, a single wallet now holds over 410 trillion SHIB tokens, representing 41% of the total supply. At current prices, that’s worth more than $5.4 billion.

And no, the identity of the wallet holder remains unknown.

One Wallet, 410 Trillion SHIB, and Billions in Value

SHIB is currently priced at $0.00001368 and boasts a market cap of over $8 billion. While the memecoin has outperformed Dogecoin in recent days — gaining 5.3% in the last 24 hours compared to DOGE’s 3.9% — the community is increasingly uneasy.

Why? Because no cryptocurrency project claiming to be decentralized wants a single entity holding this much of its supply.

Who’s Behind the Whale Wallet?

So far, the whale remains anonymous. But three theories are circulating:

  1. An early investor who bought in before SHIB’s historic 2021 rally.
  2. A centralized exchange holding SHIB on behalf of users.
  3. Ryoshi, the pseudonymous and long-gone founder of Shiba Inu.

Ryoshi launched SHIB in August 2020 and disappeared in May 2022, deleting all his posts. He had famously claimed he held no SHIB tokens himself, in a bid to keep the project truly decentralized.

Still, if the wallet belongs to Ryoshi or an entity with deep insider access, it raises questions about whether decentralization was ever real.

Why This Is a Big Deal for SHIB Holders

A wallet holding 41% of any token supply is a red flag. If this whale decides to move, sell, or leverage these tokens in any way, it could send shockwaves through the SHIB market.

Such a move could:

  • Crash SHIB’s price due to oversupply.
  • Trigger panic selling among retail investors.
  • Undermine trust in the project’s decentralization narrative.

At the time of writing, Shiba Inu is the 23rd largest cryptocurrency by market cap, according to CoinGecko.

Still, SHIB’s Ecosystem Keeps Expanding

Despite the concerns, SHIB’s fundamentals have been improving. The project continues to build out its ecosystem:

These developments could eventually give SHIB utility beyond the memecoin label — something DOGE has struggled to achieve.

How’s SHIB Performing in 2025?

It’s been a mixed year so far.

  • Q1: –41.4%
  • Q2: –7.86%
  • Q3 so far: +19.6%

That bounce in Q3 has brought some relief, but if the whale wallet causes market disruption, SHIB’s recovery could be short-lived.

Final Thoughts

The fact that a single wallet holds 41% of Shiba Inu’s supply is undeniably risky, regardless of who’s behind it. Until the holder is confirmed or the tokens are distributed, SHIB holders have reason to stay cautious, even as price momentum builds.

FAQs

Who owns the most Shiba Inu (SHIB) tokens?

The largest holder of SHIB owns over 410 trillion tokens, valued at more than $5.4 billion. While the identity is unknown, experts suggest it could be an early investor, a centralized exchange wallet, or even SHIB’s founder Ryoshi.

Could the SHIB whale be Ryoshi?

It’s possible. Ryoshi, the pseudonymous creator of SHIB, disappeared in 2022 after deleting all his online activity. While he claimed to own no tokens, the wallet’s size and early accumulation pattern have led to speculation.

Vignesh S G and Sohrab Khawas

Vignesh is a young journalist with a decade of experience. A proud alumnus of IIJNM, Bengaluru, he spent six years as a Sub-Editor for a leading business magazine, published from Kerala. His interest in futuristic technologies took him to a US-based software company specialising in Web3, Blockchain and AI. This stint inspired him to view the future of journalism through the lens of next generation technologies. Now, he covers the crypto scene for Coinpedia, uncovering a vibrant new world where technology and journalism converge.

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