Dogecoin News Today: Diverging Fates: Dogecoin's Institutional Push vs. Shiba Inu's Structural Struggles

The cryptocurrency market is witnessing a dual narrative as meme coins like Dogecoin (DOGE) and Shiba Inu (SHIB) face diverging trajectories. Institutional adoption appears to be bolstering Dogecoin, while Shiba Inu grapples with structural hurdles despite its recent inclusion in a U.S. ETF filing. Meanwhile, the broader market's pivot toward utility-driven assets is reshaping investor priorities.

Dogecoin, a token once dismissed as a joke, has emerged as a focal point for institutional investors. The recent filing of T. Rowe Price's Active Crypto ETF—approved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)—marks a significant milestone. The fund, which includes Dogecoin among its eligible assets, aims to outperform major crypto indices through active management. Some corporate disclosures, like the Strategy Inc Q3 transcript, also echo the growing institutional engagement and underscore this trend. This move underscores growing institutional confidence in meme coins, particularly those with established communities and liquidity.

Shiba Inu, however, faces a more complex landscape. While its inclusion in the T. Rowe Price ETF filing signals recognition as a legitimate asset, on-chain data reveals Shibarium's TVL has plummeted below $1 million since early October, highlighting a critical utility deficit. Analysts attribute this to a mismatch between SHIB's massive supply—over 589 trillion tokens—and the slow pace of its deflationary mechanisms. Despite a recent 42,000% surge in token burns, which briefly lifted SHIB's price to $0.00001062, the ecosystem struggles to attract developers and users.

Compounding these issues, Shibarium's daily transactions have collapsed to historic lows of 2,980 as of Oct. 29, a 99% decline from its July peak of 4.18 million. This sharp drop underscores waning user engagement, even as the SHIB team has sought to reassure investors. The underperformance has drawn comparisons to other layer-2 networks, with analysts noting that Shibarium's reliance on meme-driven hype has left it vulnerable during market downturns.

The broader crypto market's shift toward utility tokens further complicates SHIB's outlook. Platforms like Pump.fun, which initially gained notoriety for meme coin launches, are now pivoting to utility tokens to sustain growth amid declining trading volumes. Similarly, capital is flowing into sectors like AI compute and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), which offer tangible applications beyond speculative trading. This trend has left SHIB and other meme coins competing not only with traditional assets but also with newer projects promising faster burn rates and verifiable use cases.

Despite these challenges, the SHIB community remains active. Recent social media activity highlights efforts to reposition the token as a bridge between meme culture and utility, with some investors advocating for Shibarium's integration with AI-driven applications. However, analysts stress that meaningful recovery will require more than hype—sustained liquidity and developer engagement are essential to validate SHIB's role in the Web3 ecosystem.

For Dogecoin, the institutional tailwinds suggest a more stable path forward. As T. Rowe Price's ETF navigates regulatory approval, the token's inclusion in a regulated investment vehicle could catalyze broader adoption. This contrasts sharply with SHIB's struggles, illustrating the diverging fates of meme coins in an increasingly utility-focused market.