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Top US Exchange Excited About XRP, Sees XRP Going to the Moon

XRP continues to generate a sensation within the crypto community, fueled by its recent upsurge, which has even caught the attention of prominent U.S. exchange Gemini.

Yesterday, XRP achieved a significant milestone, shattering a three-month high with a near 20% price surge. In particular, it briefly reached $0.6366 for the first time since April. The price point marked an over 60% growth since the bearish trend reversed on July 5.

Notably, XRP has since corrected some of its gains, stabilizing around $0.5823 at the time of writing. Yet, it remains the top-performing cryptocurrency among the top 10 assets over the past week.

Before now, XRP significantly lagged in the crypto bull market, being outperformed by 80 other assets among the top 100 in Q1 and Q2. As a result, XRP’s latest unexpected turnaround has generated significant buzz in the community, making proponents increasingly convinced that it will not miss this bull season.

Gemini Excited about XRP

In a recent post on X, pro-XRP crypto pundit Alex Cobb asked community members how they now perceive XRP amid its comeback. The responses were filled with bullish commentary, although some critics expressed indifference.

In a surprising twist, the Gemini exchange responded to the conversation, explicitly stating its excitement about XRP. This sentiment from the American exchange caught enthusiasts off guard.

Gemini Sees XRP Going to the Moon

In an earlier tweet, Gemini celebrated XRP’s impressive 7-day gains of 30%, accompanied by a video that depicting XRP “to the moon.” The exchange added the enthusiastic message, “Rise and vibe, XRP fam,” amplifying the bullish sentiment surrounding the cryptocurrency.

Notably, Gemini listed XRP for the first time in August 2023 following the lawsuit victory that XRP is not a security. Since then, the exchange has continuously been “xcited” about XRP.

Interestingly, Gemini even took a jab at the SEC and its chairman in a tape announcing its listing of XRP.

Following the August listing, Gemini orchestrated various promotional activities to drive awareness for XRP. For instance, the exchange launched a promotion allowing users to earn XRP rewards on everyday purchases made with their Gemini Credit Card.

The campaign followed one called “The XRP Faucet,” which offered users 20 XRP daily for a week.

Hackers Steal 5,433,750,000,000 Shiba Inu From India’s Largest Exchange, Selling Starts 

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India’s largest crypto exchange, WazirX, becomes the latest victim of a massive heist, as hackers cart away over 5 trillion Shiba Inu (SHIB) and other digital assets. 

Popular blockchain analytic platform Lookonchain called the public’s attention to the development in the hours leading up to press time. 

According to Lookonchain, multiple crypto assets worth approximately $230 million were abnormally transferred from WazirX to an unknown address, 0x04b…91a88. 

Shiba Inu Ranks as Largest Asset Stolen from WazirX

Out of the total assets stolen, Shiba Inu is the biggest crypto by dollar value drained from WazirX. Lookonchain noted that the attackers moved 5,433,750,000,000 (5.43 trillion) SHIB out of the exchange. The 5.43 trillion SHIB tokens stolen from WazirX were worth $102.1 million at the time of the post. 

Notably, leading crypto tracker Whale Alert also confirmed the large movement of 5.43 trillion SHIB from WazirX to an unknown wallet. 

In addition to SHIB, the hackers also stole over 17 cryptocurrencies, including 15,298 ETH, 20.5 million MATIC, 240.27 billion PEPE, 5.79 million USDT, and 135.11 million GALA. Lookonchain noted that the hackers are currently dumping the assets. 

As per the latest updates, the hacker has started selling Shiba Inu.

 

Our Investigation 

The hackers’ address is currently valued at $77.73 million, suggesting that the attackers have dumped $152.24 million worth of assets. Etherscan data confirms that Shiba Inu is among the dumped assets. 

The data reveals that the attackers moved the stolen SHIB in multiple transactions. One of these transactions involved the movement of nearly 1 trillion SHIB, worth $17.5 million in the hours leading up to press time, to another address labeled WazirX Exploiter 2. 

According to leading on-chain data analytics provider CryptoQuant, the stolen SHIB tokens could be sold for Ethereum anytime.  

SHIB Declines 9.1% in 24 Hours 

In the meantime, the price of Shiba Inu has plummeted heavily over the past 24 hours. Data from CoinMarketCap shows that SHIB is down 9.10% over the past day to $0.00001750. 

Shiba Inu is currently the worst performer in the daily charts among the top 20 cryptocurrencies by market cap. 

While this decline could be attributed to the broader market’s bearish trend, there are indications that the heist also played a part in SHIB’s dip. 

Cardano Founder Hoskinson Refutes Vitalik Buterin on Pro-Crypto Political Stance

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Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson refutes Vitalik Buterin’s view on pro-crypto political stances, urging voters to support candidates who prioritize crypto policies.

Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano, recently refuted Vitalik Buterin’s argument against aligning political allegiances solely based on a candidate’s stance on crypto. According to his post on X, Hoskinson argued that voting for pro-crypto candidates is crucial to prevent government overreach in the crypto industry.

Vitalik Buterin’s Argument

Vitalik Buterin published an article stressing that the foundational principles of the crypto movement, derived from the cypherpunk philosophy, emphasize wider liberties and decentralization.

He went ahead to warn against supporting politicians solely for their pro-crypto stance, highlighting the risk of aligning with candidates whose broader values might conflict with those of the crypto community. 

Buterin emphasized that the cypherpunk movement, which inspired the creation of cryptocurrencies, advocated for free and open technology to protect individual freedoms. He argued that over-focusing on financial freedom could lead to neglecting other important technological freedoms, such as privacy of communication, digital identity, and thought.

Hoskinson’s Rebuttal

Moments later, Charles Hoskinson countered Buterin’s view, arguing that political support should indeed focus on candidates’ stances on cryptocurrency.

He believes that politicians must understand the consequences of anti-crypto policies, which could include election defeats. Hoskinson emphasized that a vote for Biden equates to the death of the American crypto industry, urging voters to prioritize crypto-friendly candidates.

He argued that political games are cause and effect, and politicians must face consequences for anti-crypto actions. Hoskinson stressed that if voters signal their willingness to reduce their support to a single issue—pro-crypto policies—politicians would moderate their stance and avoid harming the industry.

The Crypto Community Also Reacted

Amid the clash, a commenter on Hoskinson’s post went on to describe his viewpoint as a “massive oversimplification,” noting that politicians aren’t elected based solely on their crypto policies. 

In response, Hoskinson argued that reducing the issue to a single point could force politicians to moderate their stance and avoid harming the industry, emphasizing the need to attach consequences to political positions for change to occur.

Recall on July 1, Charles Hoskinson still urged U.S. voters to prioritize crypto in upcoming elections, criticizing President Biden’s policies. He warned that a vote for Biden could signal the end of the American cryptocurrency industry, emphasizing the importance of blockchain technology in shaping America’s systems. 

Hoskinson also criticized the media’s reaction to Biden’s performance and the lack of a Democratic primary, highlighting the administration’s detrimental impact on the crypto sector.

Bloomberg Calls XRP a ‘Little-Known Cryptocurrency’, Community Reacts

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Leading media outlet Bloomberg infuriates XRP community members with its description of the seventh-biggest cryptocurrency. 

In a recent article titled “Settlement Speculation Pushes XRP to Forefront of Crypto Rally,” Bloomberg characterized XRP as a “little-known cryptocurrency.” 

According to Bloomberg, speculations about a potential settlement in the ongoing lawsuit between the SEC and Ripple have put the XRP at the forefront of the crypto rally, with an astronomical price surge of 40% recorded over the past week. 

Notably, Bloomberg Crypto, the media outlet’s crypto arm, shared a link to the article on X. 

XRP Community Members React 

Despite Bloomberg highlighting XRP’s massive growth over the past week, its description of the asset as a “little-known” cryptocurrency irked community members. 

The development triggered reactions among prominent XRP enthusiasts, including crypto YouTuber Ben Armstrong (a.k.a. BitBoy). 

Popular media personality Zach Rector characterized the description as a joke, adding that he would address it in a video later today. 

A Move to Attract Engagement 

Furthermore, most XRP enthusiasts suggested that Bloomberg intentionally used the description to stir engagement from its community members. 

It bears mentioning that the Bloomberg tweet has received enormous engagement since it was posted yesterday at 17:44 PM (UTC). So far, it has attracted over 91,000 views, 382 likes, and 167 retweets. This is currently one of Bloomberg Crypto’s best-performing tweets in recent times. 

XRP Popularity Surges 

It is unclear whether Bloomberg intentionally used the description to fuel engagement. However, XRP has gained massive popularity in the crypto and traditional finance sectors. Crypto investors are usually focused on XRP due to its ranking among the top 10 crypto assets by market capitalization.  

Additionally, XRP has attracted investors’ attention based on its involvement in the ongoing legal dispute between the SEC and Ripple. Interestingly, several crypto entities, including Binance and Coinbase, leveraged the Ripple decision, which declared XRP a non-security, to bolster their arguments against the SEC. 

On the other hand, XRP is also making waves in the traditional finance industry. Several financial institutions, including Tranglo and Japan banks, have utilized XRP for cross-border settlements via Ripple’s payments solution, ODL (now Ripple Payments). 

At press time, XRP is up 32.65% over the past 7 days to 59 cents. It is currently ranked as the seventh-largest cryptocurrency, with a market cap of $33 billion. 

Brandt Warns of Bearish Bitcoin Trends Despite Recent Bounce

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Veteran trader Peter Brandt warns that a persistent bearish Bitcoin trend of lower highs and lower lows has overshadowed Bitcoin’s recent rebound despite positive events.

Brandt recently shared his analysis of Bitcoin’s current market trends on X, expressing caution despite the cryptocurrency’s recent price surge. He noted that Bitcoin’s pattern of lower highs and lower lows continues, overshadowing positive developments like the Bitcoin halving and the approval of Bitcoin ETFs. 

Bitcoin’s Current Bounce and Technical Analysis

Bitcoin has experienced a recent bounce, with prices rising over 10% weekly after hitting a low. Despite this upward movement, Brandt emphasizes that the sequence of lower highs and lower lows remains intact. 

This pattern, characterized by each peak and trough being lower than the previous ones, signals a bearish trend. However, the current price is above the 8-day and 18-day moving averages, indicating short-term bullish sentiment, but the long-term trend suggests caution.

The current Relative Strength Index (RSI) is around 59.41, which is below the overbought threshold of 70, suggesting that there is still some room for upward movement without hitting overbought conditions.

Impact of Bitcoin Halving and ETFs

Brandt points out the significance of events such as the halving, which are expected to impact Bitcoin’s market positively but have not. The Bitcoin halving, an event that reduces the rate at which new BTC is created, is one of the most anticipated events in the crypto industry. 

It aims to reduce miners’ rewards, historically leading to significant price increases. Market watchers like Thomas Lee and institutions like Standard Chartered previously projected Bitcoin to potentially reach $150,000 following the halving. 

Additionally, the approval of Bitcoin ETFs has attracted institutional investors, enhancing market liquidity and stability. ETFs serve as a regulatory endorsement, boosting investor confidence and reducing long-term volatility.

Market Sentiment and Media Hype

Market sentiment and media hype also play crucial roles in cryptocurrency price movements. Positive sentiment can drive prices up, while negative sentiment can lead to declines. Recent data from Santiment highlights a rise in Bitcoin whale and shark wallets, indicating growing interest despite market dips. 

Earlier this month, reports confirmed an increase of 261 wallets holding at least 10 BTC, pushing the total to 152,000, the highest since May 2021.

However, despite this positive sentiment, Brandt questions Bitcoin’s future. He points out that the ongoing pattern of lower highs and lower lows may hinder sustained growth. This bearish outlook contrasts Brandt’s earlier analysis on Bitcoin, in which he forecasted a spike to $92,579 amid a bear trap.

Shiba Inu Lead Guides This New Token to Top Exchange Listings

Shytoshi Kusama, the pseudonymous leader of the Shiba Inu ecosystem, has disclosed his advisory role in an emerging project now listed on major centralized exchanges.

In a recent post on X, Kusama proudly revealed that he serves in an advisory capacity for AIRian, a project focused on DePIN or Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network. Kusama disclosed this as AIRian achieved a significant milestone in its journey, securing listing on three notable exchanges.

Specifically, on Tuesday, AIRian’s AIR token became tradable on the global exchange Gate.io, the South Korean exchange GOPAX, and the DEX launchpad Ape Terminal. The team also disclosed that AIR will become available on the Philippines crypto app, Coins.ph, soon.

Significantly, AIR’s debut on Gate.io, GOPAX, and Ape Terminal marked its first entry into the crypto market, making the new digital asset accessible to millions of users worldwide. Gate.io is among the top ten leading centralized exchanges, boasting a daily trading volume exceeding $2 billion, which solidifies AIR’s presence in the crypto market.

Shiba Inu Lead Celebrates the Milestone

Amid this major landmark, the Shiba Inu ecosystem lead delightedly noted that he was a consultant for AIRian, expressing his excitement to see the project come to life. Kusama praised the team’s efforts and encouraged them to continue pushing forward.

Shiba Inu Army Reacts

The Shiba Inu community has responded with excitement to Kusama’s disclosure. Community members, such as Thomas Negeri, view Kusama’s involvement as a move to further establish Shiba Inu’s presence across multiple fronts, ultimately increasing the project’s viability and potential for growth.

Notably, the Shiba Inu ecosystem leader has a track record of successful advisory roles with other launched crypto projects. Four months ago, K9 Finance (KNINE), a liquid staking solution on the Shibarium blockchain, announced Kusama and his colleague Kaal Dhairya as advisors. 

A few days after this announcement, KNINE secured its first centralized exchange listing on the MEXC trading platform.

XRP Overtakes Bitcoin in Korea, Records 2x More Trade Volume

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XRP overtakes Bitcoin in volume across Korea, recording over $650 million in 24-hour volume on Korea’s top exchanges, about 2.3x more than BTC volume.

The XRP market has witnessed an impressive resurgence, outperforming the rest of the crypto market by a mile. While the entire crypto market (TOTAL) has increased 11.7% over the last week, XRP has spiked by an impressive 31% within the same period.

Interestingly, market data suggests that this upsurge is largely driven by growing interest, especially in South Korea. XRP has taken up a huge chunk of the overall trading activity in Korea, dominating in the country’s top exchanges.

XRP Overtakes Bitcoin in Korea

Notably, Bitcoin (BTC), the largest crypto asset, has a trade volume of $203.57 million on Upbit, Korea’s largest exchange. The premier crypto asset’s total trading volume across the top 5 exchanges in Korea amounts to $282 million. 

Bitcoin Total Volume in Korea
Bitcoin Total Volume in Korea

Meanwhile, XRP boasts an impressive trade volume of $526.8 million on Upbit alone. This suggests that XRP’s trade volume on just Upbit surpasses Bitcoin’s trade volume across Korea’s top 5 exchanges. XRP singlehandedly commands 30.19% of all the trade volume on Upbit. Bitcoin only sees 11.56% dominance.

Upbit Volume CoinMarketCap
Upbit Volume | CoinMarketCap

Further, XRP has witnessed a total of $650.3 million on the top 5 Korean exchanges, over 2.3x Bitcoin’s figure. These exchanges include Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, GOPAX and Korbit, Korea’s largest exchanges by trade volume.

XRP Total Volume in Korea
XRP Total Volume in Korea

The last time XRP overtook Bitcoin by this margin across the Korean market was last July. At the time, XRP skyrocketed to a 1.5-year peak of $0.93 on the back of the favorable ruling in the SEC lawsuit.

Increased Global Volume Amid Exchange Withdrawals

In a similar trend, XRP is currently witnessing its biggest solo run since last July. Globally, XRP has also observed a renewal of trade volume as market participants troop into the scene. Yesterday, XRP’s trade volume stood at a massive $3.8 billion, the largest since April 13.

Further data shows that global trade volume has increased 19% over the past 24 hours to $3.9 billion. This figure marks a new high over the past three months. 

XRP Global Volume CoinMarketCap
XRP Global Volume | CoinMarketCap

Elsewhere, Coinglass confirms that XRP is also witnessing a bullish trend in terms of exchange flows. The top exchanges have seen net outflows involving XRP in the last 24 hours. Binance leads with $13.5 million in net outflows, while OKX follows with $7.83 million. Only Coinbase is recording net inflows, with the figure standing at $4.46 million.

XRP Exchange Netflows Coinglass
XRP Exchange Netflows | Coinglass

Meanwhile, XRP has hit a roadblock on its solo run following a retest of a two-month high at $0.6369 this morning. The crypto asset has dropped 6.42% today, but maintains a positive trend over the past week. Also, XRP has gained 23% this month.

Ripple CEO on Bloomberg Says Settlement With SEC is Close as XRP is Not a Security

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Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse expresses optimism about reaching a final resolution soon in the lawsuit against the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

The Ripple exec asserted during a recent Bloomberg Markets: The Close interview. While Garlinghouse is optimistic about an imminent resolution, he acknowledged the uncertainty in predicting the timing of the highly anticipated final judgment. 

“We expect resolution very soon, but we can’t predict exactly when the judge will rule,” Garlinghouse remarked. 

This is not the first time that Garlinghouse has speculated on the imminent resolution of the SEC’s lawsuit. Last month, he predicted that Judge Analisa Torres would issue the final verdict this year, specifically before the end of summer 2024. 

Garlinghouse Declines to Comment on Ongoing Settlement Talks with SEC

During the recent interview, Romaine Bostick, one of the anchors of Bloomberg’s The Close, asked Garlinghouse to comment on whether the company is currently in settlement talks with the SEC. 

Responding, Garlinghouse refused to provide specific comments on the matter. 

“I can’t comment on that [ongoing settlement talks] right now,” he said. 

However, he acknowledged that Judge Torres had provided clarity on major aspects of the lawsuits during the summary judgment decision issued on July 13, 2023. 

Final Piece of SEC Lawsuit 

He stated that the only piece currently under litigation relates to the company’s XRP sales to institutional investors. 

“The ruling has been clear from the judge. There is one final piece, as you referenced- investment contracts sold to institutions,” Garlinghouse added.  

Recall that Judge Torres held that XRP institutional sales constitute investment contacts. The parties are currently in the remedies phase, awaiting the court’s final judgment that could determine the appropriate penalty for Ripple’s securities law violation.  

Debates About Possible Settlement in SEC v. Ripple  

Meanwhile, the issue of potential settlement in the lawsuit has stirred a major debate within the crypto community. While some people speculated that the lawsuit could end in a settlement, others believed the case would be decided via a court verdict. 

Notably, Ripple is open to settling the lawsuit if the SEC labels XRP a non-security. Conversely, the regulator has not publicly shown interest in a settlement. 

Speaking in the interview from Milwaukee, the Ripple CEO emphasized that the court has already ruled that XRP is not a security.  

His comments about a potential settlement come as the SEC prepares for a closed-door meeting today. As reported earlier, three of the four topics to be discussed in the meeting revolve around settling injunctive actions and administrative proceedings and resolving litigation claims. 

It is unclear whether the regulator might comment on settling its legal tussle with Ripple during the meeting scheduled for 2 PM (ET) today. 

In the meantime, the SEC has not hinted at plans to settle with Ripple. The regulatory agency is sticking to the court to resolve the matter. Recall that the lawsuit received its major ruling on July 13, 2023, when Judge Torres held that XRP in itself is not a security. 

Additionally, she declared that Ripple’s sales of XRP to retail investors on digital exchanges and other distributions of the coin do not constitute investment contracts. Ripple’s only defeat in the decision was on institutional sales, which were labeled securities. 

XRP Dominance Retests Key 1.03% Level, Predicting Surge to $403.78

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JD, a prominent market analyst, has predicted a potential price explosion for XRP following a crucial retest of its market dominance level at 1.03%. 

This prediction comes amid growing interest in XRP and renewed optimism in the cryptocurrency market. Notably, the XRP dominance chart measures XRP’s market cap position in comparison to the overall market. When XRP price rises, its market cap also surges, leading to increased dominance.

XRP Dominance Retests 1.03%

In his analysis, JD pointed out that the last time XRP dominance tested the 1.03% level, it resulted in an astonishing 650x price increase. This historical data forms the basis of the current bullish outlook.

The accompanying chart shows that XRP dominance peaked at around 18% in early 2018, followed by significant price spikes. These spikes include a jump to $0.39 (39x in 56 days) and a surge to $3.31 (17x in 28 days). 

However, the chart also highlights a notable crash, where XRP dominance dropped by 50% to 0.19% over 203 days. The crash was a product of XRP’s correction from the $3.31 all-time high in January 2018. XRP has since continued to lose its market cap dominance, and it is now the sixth-largest asset by valuation.

The recent activity shows XRP dominance, retesting the crucial 1.03% level and bouncing off it. This retest is significant, as it mirrors the conditions that led to the previous 650x price surge. Interestingly, the 1.03% level has proven to be a critical support level, having been tested multiple times.

Despite JD choosing not to provide a price target for his analysis, a repetition of the 650x increase could lead to greater heights for XRP. This 650x rise from the current price of $0.6212 would lead to an ambitious $403.78.

The chart also features a long-term descending resistance line, starting from the peak in 2018 and touching several lower highs. This trend line suggests that breaking through this resistance could signal a significant increase in XRP dominance.

XRP Shows Bullish Trend, up 42% in a Week

JD depicts XRP’s potential movements with upward arrows, indicating possible spikes in dominance. If XRP manages to break through the descending trend line, it could lead to substantial gains. Amid this bullish scenario, JD has confidently called the bottom. However, he failed to present any price projection.

Current data on XRP’s price movements further supports the optimistic outlook. XRP currently trades for $0.6212, reflecting a significant 24-hour increase of 7.21%. XRP is also up 42% over the past week. The Ichimoku Cloud shows XRP breaking above the cloud, indicating a potential bullish trend.

XRP Ichimoku Cloud and Fisher Transform
XRP Ichimoku Cloud and Fisher Transform

Additionally, the Fisher Transform shows bullish signals. The Fisher Transform value is at 2.42, above the signal line at 1.97. This suggests that the current price momentum is strong and likely to continue in the short term.

Here’s Shiba Inu Price if SHIB Becomes a $1T Entity as Predicted by Kusama

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If Shiba Inu becomes a $1 trillion market cap crypto asset, as predicted by lead developer Shytoshi Kusama, it can spike by 9,743% to delete two leading zeros.

Lead developer Shytoshi Kusama has persistently maintained that Shiba Inu is capable of greater heights. In March, Kusama argued that a $0.00012 target is an underestimate for SHIB.

Most recently, Kusama entertained an interview with the leading business magazine Arabian Business. During the interview, the lead developer discussed the far-reaching goals of the Shiba Inu ecosystem. Interestingly, Kusama asserted that the goal is to make SHIB the first trillion-dollar decentralized entity in the world.

Shiba Inu has come a long way since its launch in August 2020. Industry leaders like Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin initially underestimated the project’s potential. Buterin admitted in March that SHIB exceeded his expectations. However, Kusama’s commentary suggests that greater heights are possible.

Shiba Inu Price at a $1T Market Cap

With SHIB now boasting a market cap of $10.148 billion, it stands as the thirteenth largest crypto in the world. Should Shiba Inu claim a $1 trillion market cap, it would only come second to Bitcoin (BTC) on the list of largest assets. However, this valuation would demand a massive price spike.

Shiba Inu currently trades for $0.00001724 with a circulating supply exceeding 589 trillion tokens. SHIB must spike to a price of $0.001697 to hit a $1 trillion valuation, assuming its supply remains stable. This would demand 9,743% increase from the current price, a feat that several market watchers deem possible.

Notably, amid multiple price projections around Shiba Inu, the $0.001 prediction has come up several times. Prominent market analytical resource Coinpedia Markets made such a projection. The platform predicted that SHIB may surge by 10x or 100x following the approval of Ethereum ETFs. At the time, a 100x increase would lead to a $0.0016 price for Shiba Inu.

Also, notable Bitcoin advocate and crypto investor Armando Pantoja speculated in April that SHIB could reach $0.001 this year. However, it is important to note that despite the prevalence of these predictions, Shiba Inu’s potential to reach $0.001 remains contested.