Shiba Inu Team Responds to Criticism Over Selective Project Support

The Shiba Inu team has addressed accusations of selectively endorsing specific Shibarium projects at the detriment of others. 

Tension has been brewing in the Shiba Inu community over the past few days following the IDO launch of Positions Exchange’s native token (POE) on July 31.

Notably, Shiba Inu leaders Shytoshi Kusama and Kaal Dhairya both serve as advisors to the Positions Exchange. Each promoted the IDO on their X timelines.

- Advertisement -

WoofSwap Accuses Shiba Inu Team of Selective Endorsement

Unhappy with the development, top Shibarium DEX WoofSwap called out Kusama and the official Shiba Inu X handle for giving preferential treatment, in the form of endorsement, to specific Shibarium projects.

The Shibarium-based DEX claimed that the Shiba Inu leaders are prioritizing individual projects over the broader SHIB ecosystem. It stated that such actions only create an uneven playing field for developers within the ecosystem.

“If I don’t speak out, my only other option is to walk away from the game entirely,” WoofSwap remarked.

Team Addresses Criticism

In response, Dhairya acknowledged that WoofSwap’s concerns are valid. However, he also pointed out his own efforts to ensure WoofSwap received appropriate recognition.

He argued that the main challenge currently facing Shiba Inu is not selective endorsement but a lack of unity. According to him, ecosystem decisions are mostly influenced by personal bias rather than objective valuations, causing legitimate projects to suffer collateral damage.

Dhairya acknowledged that recruiting advisors and influencers is a common practice in the crypto space, including within the Shiba Inu ecosystem.

While he considers this practice acceptable, Dhairya emphasized the need to set a higher standard for projects that receive promotion in the Shiba Inu ecosystem.

Team Calls for Unity Against External Threats

Notably, the developer urged the community to set aside internal conflicts and unite against external forces—such as projects that have displaced SHIB from the top 10 crypto rankings and those that seek to undermine the token.

He also called on the community to address entities like the Ethereum Foundation and Vitalik Buterin, who have declined to publicly support SHIB.

Way Forward

Dhairya noted that achieving this unity involves empowering the Shiba Inu DAO and establishing genuine community governance. Through this, Dhairya believes the community will have an equal voice on which projects to support and eventually put an end to favoritism and guarantee transparency.

He also suggested that Shiba Inu could utilize its quad-token governance model and the “Great Canine Code,” an ethical framework to hold leaders like Kusama accountable and prevent other top community figures from misusing their influence.

Meanwhile, the POE IDO underperformed. As a result, the team stopped the IDO abruptly and promised to refund all contributions made during the event.