NAIROBI (CoinChapter.com)—Shytoshi Kusama, the pseudonymous lead of the Shiba Inu ecosystem, clarified his role in the project’s history during a podcast aired on Dec. 31. Kusama denied being the founder of Shiba Inu, attributing that title to the mysterious Ryoshi.
Kusama’s Role in Shiba Inu’s Evolution
Speaking in the inaugural episode of a 44-part podcast series, Kusama stated he joined the community six months after Shiba Inu’s inception. “I get that question or comment all the time: ‘You’re the founder of SHIB.’ No, I’m not. Ryoshi is the founder,” Kusama said, addressing long-standing misconceptions.
Shytoshi Kusama debuts ‘Meme Mania’ podcast. Source: XKusama took to X (formerly Twitter) ahead of the episode’s release to announce the launch of the podcast, titled Meme Mania and the 36 Chambers of Tech. He revealed that the first episode was available on Spotify, while the second episode would debut in Shib The Metaverse. The announcement quickly gained traction, garnering 34.5K views, reflecting strong engagement within the Shiba Inu community.
He added that Ryoshi’s vision, which initially drew him to the project, centered on overtaking Dogecoin, a rival memecoin. “Our drive was to overtake DOGE,” Kusama remarked, shedding light on the ecosystem’s competitive origins.
Kusama revealed that Ryoshi’s roadmap included five tokens—SHIB, Doge Killer (LEASH), Bone ShibaSwap (BONE), the forthcoming TREAT, and the stablecoin SHI. The associated technologies involve decentralized exchange ShibaSwap, Layer-2 chain Shibarium, the ShibaCon conference, and SHI stablecoin integration.
Leadership Amid Anonymity
Kusama assumed leadership after Ryoshi’s abrupt exit in 2022 and has since worked toward fulfilling the founder’s vision of decentralization. Last year, Kusama reiterated his commitment to stepping away once this vision is complete.
In keeping with Shiba Inu’s ethos, Kusama maintains anonymity, a trait inspired by Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto. His first public appearance in Japan last year included a Batman-styled mask to preserve his identity.
Shiba Inu surges 9.45%, hits $0.00002281. Source: CoinMarketCapAt press time, Shiba Inu (SHIB) traded at $0.00002281, reflecting a 9.45% gain in the past 24 hours, according to Benzinga Pro.
This clarification of Kusama’s role offers insight into Shiba Inu’s leadership dynamics and its roadmap for the future, underscoring its long-standing rivalry with Dogecoin.
