Will Shiba Inu (SHIB) Price Delete or Add a Zero in 2025–2030? The Deflationary and Adoption Catalysts Driving a Bullish Breakout

The Deflationary Engine: Burn Rates and Supply Reduction

Shiba Inu (SHIB) has emerged as one of the most audacious experiments in deflationary tokenomics. As of September 4, 2025, SHIB’s burn rate surged by 201,207%, removing 4.56 billion tokens from circulation in a single day [1]. This staggering figure, while a small fraction of the total supply (589.25 trillion SHIB), underscores the project’s commitment to reducing supply through aggressive burns. Over 410.75 trillion SHIB tokens have been burned since inception, representing 41% of the total supply [1].

The deflationary mechanism is not just a numbers game—it’s a psychological and economic lever. By permanently removing tokens from circulation, SHIB’s ecosystem creates artificial scarcity, which, in theory, should drive demand. However, the token’s massive initial supply (1 quadrillion) means even dramatic burns only scratch the surface. For example, a 112,000% burn rate spike in June 2025 removed 116 million SHIB, yet this accounted for just 0.00002% of the total supply [4]. The challenge lies in sustaining consistent deflationary pressure while maintaining retail and institutional interest.

Retail Adoption and Shibarium’s Role in Utility

SHIB’s survival as a meme coin has always hinged on its ability to evolve beyond novelty. The launch of Shibarium, its Ethereum Layer-2 solution, has been a game-changer. By August 2025, Shibarium’s daily transaction volume hit 3.82 million, with gas fees reduced by 30% [6]. This growth is not just a technical win—it’s a catalyst for retail adoption.

Shibarium’s ecosystem now includes 1.27 million wallets, 1.92 million blocks, and a TVL of $775,000 [1]. These metrics indicate a thriving network where SHIB is used for staking, governance, and DeFi protocols like ShibaSwap and K9 Finance DAO. The more transactions processed on Shibarium, the more fees are generated—and the more SHIB tokens are burned. This flywheel effect ties retail adoption directly to deflationary mechanics.

Retail adoption is further amplified by SHIB’s 1.5 million unique wallet addresses, a testament to its grassroots appeal [3]. While skeptics argue that meme coins lack utility, Shibarium’s growth demonstrates SHIB’s transition into a functional asset. The token’s price is increasingly influenced by real-world usage rather than pure speculation.

Price Projections: A Bull Case Built on Scarcity and Adoption

Analysts project SHIB could reach $0.0000162 by 2025, $0.000041 by 2026, and $0.000080 by 2030, contingent on sustained burns and Shibarium adoption [1]. These targets assume a 5% annual growth rate and a correlation between transaction volume and price. For instance, when Shibarium’s daily transactions surged to 3.82 million in August 2025, SHIB’s price briefly broke above $0.000013 [6]. Conversely, a 98.89% drop in burn rates in late August coincided with a price decline to $0.000012 [5].

The key question is whether SHIB can maintain a positive feedback loop: higher adoption → more burns → reduced supply → higher price. This dynamic is evident in the token’s recent 500% burn rate spike in late August 2025, which briefly reignited bullish sentiment [6]. However, the token’s massive supply remains a headwind. Even if SHIB burns 10% of its remaining supply annually, reaching $1 is improbable without structural changes.

Challenges and Counterarguments

Critics highlight several risks. First, competition from newer meme coins like Pepe (PEPE) and Little Pepe (LILPEPE) is intensifying, with projects offering real-world utility (e.g., cross-border payments via Remittix) [6]. Second, whale activity remains volatile. While Q2 2025 saw large holders moving SHIB to cold storage, a 41% concentration of tokens in a single wallet poses centralization risks [6]. Third, broader market conditions—such as delayed Fed rate cuts and Bitcoin’s price action—will heavily influence SHIB’s trajectory.

Conclusion: A Zero-Add Scenario Requires Execution

SHIB’s potential to “add a zero” (i.e., reach $0.0001) hinges on three factors:
1. Sustained deflationary burns that reduce supply by 50%+ of the remaining 189 trillion tokens.
2. Shibarium’s adoption reaching 10 million daily transactions, generating consistent fee-based burns.
3. Retail and institutional confidence in SHIB’s utility as a governance and staking asset.

While the path is fraught with challenges, the interplay of deflationary mechanics and retail adoption creates a compelling case for a bullish breakout. SHIB may not reach $1, but a 500–1,000% return from current levels is plausible if the ecosystem executes its vision. For investors, the key is to monitor burn rates, Shibarium’s TVL, and whale activity—metrics that will determine whether SHIB deletes a zero or adds one.

Source:
[1] Shiba Inu Breaks Burn Rate Limit With 201,207% Surge [https://www.tradingview.com/news/u_today:ab6801b5a094b:0-shiba-inu-breaks-burn-rate-limit-with-201-207-surge-will-price-follow/]
[2] Shiba Inu Price Prediction 2025–2030: Can $SHIB Still Soar? [https://bitcoinist.com/shiba-inu-price-prediction/]
[3] Shiba Inu Price Prediction 2025, 2030, 2040 [https://www.tokenmetrics.com/blog/shiba-inu-price-prediction?74e29fd5_page=24]
[4] Shiba Inu Price Sell-Off Continues as SHIB Burn Rate Skyrockets to 112,000 [https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2025/06/15/shiba-inu-price-sell-off-continues-as-shib-burn-rate-skyrockets-to-112-000]
[5] Shiba Inu Burn Rate Plunges 98% as SHIB Price Loses 20-Day Support [https://www.coinspeaker.com/shiba-inu-burn-rate-plunges-98-shib-price-loses-20-day-support/]
[6] Shiba Inu (SHIB): A Bear Market Casualty or a Catalyst-Driven Breakout? [https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560604940660]