Google Awards Shiba Inu Partner $200K Cloud Service Grant

Shiba Inu team has congratulated its partner K9 Finance DAO for receiving a $200,000 grant through the Google for Startups initiative. 

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K9 Finance recently took to X to announce that it has been awarded a grant of $200,000 under the Google for Startups program. Per the announcement, the grant comes in the form of free access to Google Cloud services instead of direct cash. 

With the grant, K9’s development team can access Google Cloud’s infrastructure, security features, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools at zero cost. 

For context, Google introduced the Google for Startups program in 2011, which offers startups an opportunity to grow by connecting them to relevant products, resources, and people. 

Since its launch, thousands of startups, including Jumping Minds, Fixit, and 6Degrees, have leveraged Google Cloud to grow their businesses at zero cost. 

Benefits of the Grant 

According to K9, the $200,000 grant will help the project eliminate cloud expenses. With the funding, K9 aims to channel its financial resources into other areas, such as marketing and ecosystem expansion. 

In addition, K9 emphasized that the grant also enhances its legitimacy and credibility, as not every project gets Google funding. Consequently, K9 could gain significant attention from other established players in the tech and Web3 sectors. 

Lastly, the K9 team disclosed that its projects will offer more speed and scalability as Google Cloud powers its system. 

Beyond accessing Google Cloud services at zero cost, the team suggested that the grant will strengthen its long-term position, creating partnership opportunities, sustainability, and integration. 

Furthermore, it referred to the grant as an opportunity to position K9 Finance as a major force within Shibarium and the broader crypto ecosystem. 

Shiba Inu Team Reacts 

Expectedly, Shiba Inu’s Marketing Lead, Lucie, issued a celebratory reaction to Google’s $200,000 grant awarded to K9 Finance. Notably, the Head of Shiba Inu marketing referred to the grant as a huge milestone, given the opportunities associated with the backing. 

Big congratulations! This is huge! https://t.co/ehazTY1wCs

— 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐄 (@LucieSHIB) February 26, 2025

K9 Finance remains Shiba Inu’s official liquid staking partner. It allows users to stake BONE through its Bonecrusher decentralized application (dApp) while retaining the liquidity of their tokens. 

At press time, K9 boasts a total value locked (TVL) of $562,035, according to data from DeFiLlama. This represents a 75.24% decline from the peak TVL of $2.27 million, registered on December 12, 2024.