Shiba Inu Slumps 35% in 2025 Despite Crypto Boom — Has the Meme Coin Lost Its Bite?

Crypto’s having a blockbuster year, but someone forgot to tell Shiba Inu. While Bitcoin and other major tokens surge, SHIB is down roughly 35% year-to-date, trading at just $0.000014 as of July 16. It’s a stark contrast to the broader optimism fueling the digital asset space. And it begs the question — is SHIB dead money, or is this just the calm before another viral storm?

Meme Coin in a Bull Market Slump

Let’s just state the obvious — it’s weird.

Crypto is hot again. Bitcoin’s up over 25% this year. Ethereum’s climbed back above $3,500. Institutional investors are warming up to ETFs. Regulatory winds, while still unpredictable, have shifted just enough to reduce fear. And yet, here’s Shiba Inu, stuck in a ditch.

This isn’t a small dip either. We’re talking about a steep drop in a booming environment. It’s like watching someone stall their car in the fast lane.

Investors who’ve been around long enough will remember 2021, when SHIB exploded by more than 40,000% at one point. That frenzy has clearly faded, replaced by doubt, and maybe even a touch of indifference.

Shibarium Growth Can’t Shake Off the Pessimism

It’s not like nothing is happening behind the scenes.

In 2023, Shiba Inu developers launched Shibarium, a Layer-2 blockchain aimed at lowering gas fees and improving transaction speed. The idea was to create an entire Shiba-powered ecosystem — think NFTs, metaverse projects, dApps, and even DeFi. Big plans.

And by early 2025, Shibarium had reportedly passed 1 billion transactions. That’s not nothing. High traffic suggests there’s still interest, at least at a technical or developer level.

But here’s the twist: SHIB’s price hasn’t followed.

Just one sentence here — utility doesn’t always mean upside, especially if nobody’s buying.

Investors Are Looking Elsewhere

Maybe it’s not about Shiba at all. Maybe it’s about attention — or rather, the lack of it.

The rise of stablecoins, like USDC and USDT, has given risk-averse investors a new way to play in crypto without riding the rollercoaster. And with Circle Internet Financial (USDC issuer) going public recently, stablecoins just got a huge credibility boost.

At the same time, investors have a broader menu now:

• Bitcoin ETFs make crypto accessible to traditional investors.

• AI-focused altcoins like Fetch.ai or Render are stealing the speculative spotlight.

• Utility tokens with real-world use cases are taking center stage.

Shiba Inu? It still leans heavily on community hype. That’s a tougher sell in a maturing market.

Meme Coins Are Taking a Back Seat

It’s not just Shiba.

Dogecoin, the original meme coin and Shiba Inu’s biggest rival, is also down about 35% this year. That’s a double red flag for the meme token scene.

The days when Elon Musk tweets could move prices by 20% are fading. Retail investors seem more cautious now. Some are burned out. Others have moved on.

Crypto is still speculative, sure. But there’s a clear shift from jokes and dog mascots to tokens with narratives around AI, gaming, or financial tools. Meme magic has its limits.

A Price That Feels Cheap — But Is It?

At $0.000014, SHIB looks cheap. But cheap doesn’t mean undervalued. It could just mean people don’t want it.

Here’s a quick comparison to put things in perspective:

And while Shiba’s market cap is still sizable at $9 billion, its position in the crypto rankings has steadily slipped — once flirting with the top 10, now hovering near the 20s.

That’s not just a technicality. It shows real money is flowing out of SHIB and into other coins with either stronger fundamentals or more compelling narratives.

Should You Buy the Dip?

Let’s cut through it: Shiba Inu is a speculative bet. Always has been. If you’re buying now, you’re not buying fundamentals — you’re betting that it gets popular again.

Maybe a surprise ETF gets approved (though odds are slim). Maybe a celebrity pushes it back into the spotlight. Maybe the community finds a new rallying cry.

But unless that happens, the coin’s chances of doubling anytime soon are slim. Could it spike? Sure. Could it fall another 50%? Absolutely.

If you’re thinking of investing $1,000 in crypto right now, you might be better off looking at:

• Bitcoin for long-term strength

• Ethereum for smart contract utility

• Crypto equities like Coinbase or MicroStrategy for diversified exposure

That doesn’t mean SHIB is worthless — it’s just a very long shot at this point.