Shiba Inu (SHIB): Is the 'Zero' Price Target Realistic Amid Ecosystem Growth and Liquidity Challenges?

Shiba Inu (SHIB), the meme coin that once captured the crypto world's imagination, now finds itself at a crossroads. Trading near $0.000013 as of September 2025, the token has seen a 2.65% price increase in the last 24 hours, driven by a technical breakout above the $0.00001280 resistance level. This movement, supported by a bullish MACD crossover and an RSI of 56, hints at short-term optimism. Yet, SHIB remains below its 50-day and 200-day exponential moving averages (EMAs), a bearish signal that raises questions about its long-term viability.

Ecosystem Growth: A Foundation for Resilience

SHIB's ecosystem has evolved beyond its meme coin origins. Shibarium, its Layer-2 blockchain, now processes over 12.7 million daily transactions as of August 2025Latest Shiba Inu News - (SHIB) Future Outlook, Trends & Market^[3], a critical step toward establishing real-world utility. Governance upgrades, including multi-choice voting systems and DAO elections, aim to decentralize decision-making and reduce centralization risksLatest Shiba Inu News - (SHIB) Future Outlook, Trends & Market^[3]. These developments suggest a deliberate pivot toward utility-driven value, a stark contrast to the speculative frenzy that once defined SHIB's early days.

Token burns have also been a focal point. In August 2025, SHIB's burn rate surged 340,000%, removing trillions of tokens from circulationLatest Shiba Inu News - (SHIB) Future Outlook, Trends & Market^[3]. While this initially signaled bullish potential by reducing supply inflation, the burn rate has since plummeted by 98% to 11.19M tokens daily. This sharp decline raises concerns about the sustainability of the burn strategy, particularly if it fails to maintain investor confidence.

Liquidity Challenges and Delistings: A Looming Threat

Despite these fundamentals, SHIB faces significant liquidity headwinds. BitMEX's delisting of SHIBUSD perpetual contracts on September 5, 2025, and the potential delisting from another major exchange highlight a waning institutional appetiteLatest Shiba Inu News - (SHIB) Future Outlook, Trends & Market^[3]. These exits reduce speculative leverage opportunities and fragment market access, exacerbating volatility. For context, SHIB's 24-hour trading volume recently spiked to $262.8M but remains far below its 2021 peak.

The delistings also underscore a broader trend: SHIB's struggle to retain relevance in a crowded market. While it remains listed on platforms like Binance and CoinbaseLatest Shiba Inu News - (SHIB) Future Outlook, Trends & Market^[3], the loss of derivatives markets like BitMEX signals a shift in institutional sentiment. This is particularly concerning for a token whose price has historically relied on retail-driven momentum rather than intrinsic utility.

Whale Activity and Centralization Risks

Another critical factor is the concentration of SHIB holdings. Large holders have accumulated 10.4T SHIB ($110M) since June 2025, representing 41% of the total supplyLatest Shiba Inu News - (SHIB) Future Outlook, Trends & Market^[3]. This level of centralization poses a significant risk to SHIB's decentralization narrative. If whales decide to sell, the token could face a cascading price decline, pushing it closer to the $0 threshold.

This dynamic contrasts with Dogecoin (DOGE), which has historically maintained a more distributed ownership structure. While DOGE's price resilience has been bolstered by celebrity endorsements and a loyal communityLatest Shiba Inu News - (SHIB) Future Outlook, Trends & Market^[3], SHIB's reliance on whale activity introduces a unique vulnerability.

Future Roadmap: Can Innovation Salvage SHIB?

The Shiba Inu ecosystem is not without hope. Plans for the Shib Alpha Layer (Layer-3 blockchain) in Q4 2025 and an AI-focused initiative called JUL-AI aim to enhance speed, scalability, and multi-chain interoperabilityLatest Shiba Inu News - (SHIB) Future Outlook, Trends & Market^[3]. These projects, if executed successfully, could attract developers and users beyond the meme coin narrative. However, their success hinges on sustained adoption and developer engagement—uncertain prospects in a market increasingly skeptical of speculative assets.

The Zero Price Target: Realistic or Overblown?

The question of whether SHIB could reach $0 is complex. On one hand, liquidity challenges, delistings, and whale dominance create a bearish environment. On the other, ecosystem growth and token burns offer a counterbalance. The key lies in execution: if Shibarium's transaction volume continues to rise and the Shib Alpha Layer gains traction, SHIB could stabilize at a higher price. Conversely, if liquidity issues persist and whale activity intensifies, the token may struggle to maintain even its current valuation.

For now, SHIB's price remains in a precarious equilibrium. Traders are watching key support levels, with some optimistic about a rally to $0.00001765 if technical patterns holdLatest Shiba Inu News - (SHIB) Future Outlook, Trends & Market^[3]. Yet, the risk of a slide toward $0.00001 looms large, particularly if institutional disengagement accelerates.

Conclusion

SHIB's journey from meme to multi-layered ecosystem is a testament to its community's ambition. However, the token's future is far from guaranteed. While fundamental developments like Shibarium and token burns provide a foundation for resilience, they must overcome liquidity challenges and centralization risks to avoid a zero price target. For investors, the lesson is clear: SHIB's potential lies not in its price chart but in its ability to deliver on its utility-driven vision.