Shiba Inu Lead Clashes with Litecoin Amid the Project's Meme Coin Pivot

A light-hearted clash has emerged between Shiba Inu lead developer Shytoshi Kusama and the new Litecoin intern on Twitter.

A light-hearted clash has emerged on X between Shiba Inu lead developer Shytoshi Kusama and the new Litecoin intern over the use of memes in crypto marketing.

The exchange began when Tyo, a crypto investor and builder, expressed frustration with unreliable projects and asked the community for suggestions on a solid investment. Active on X in recent days, Kusama replied, suggesting there must be a "better way to MEME" in crypto marketing.

Seeing this a lot. There must be a "better way to MEME." https://t.co/U9vPFXbDw8

— Shytoshi Kusama™ (@ShytoshiKusama) November 18, 2024

The Litecoin account, now helmed by an intern and known for its unconventional "shitposting" strategy, humorously responded to Kusama's tweet, implying that Litecoin's recent approach was indeed preferable. This sparked a series of back-and-forth comments.

Kusama quipped that Litecoin was beneath Shiba Inu, joking that he couldn't hear the project from "down there." This comment alluded to the market cap rankings, where Shiba Inu sits at 11th with a valuation of $14.7 billion, while Litecoin ranks 22nd at $6.4 billion.

Litecoin's intern maintained the banter with equally witty comments, including a jab about excessive protein intake. Kusama followed up with Marvel-themed references, likening the situation to a battle of superheroes and suggesting Litecoin lacked the star power to compete.

They're forming the memevengers and I am starting to feel like Thanos…

@litecoin take that L and stand down . You don't have Tony stark on your squad.

And even if you did…he would switch sides and put on the mask. pic.twitter.com/YWhRfVpA05

— Shytoshi Kusama™ (@ShytoshiKusama) November 18, 2024

The clash comes as Litecoin pivots to a humorous meme-centric marketing strategy under its new intern. Recently, the Litecoin account declared that it now identifies as a meme coin due to market conditions.

Due to current market conditions I now identify as a memecoin.

— Litecoin (@litecoin) November 14, 2024

This pivot has seen the Litecoin account engage in increased "shitposting," a tactic commonly used by meme coins to attract followers with humor and relatability.

The strategy appears to be impacting Litecoin's social engagement metrics on X, which have surged over the past week. The playful rebranding and banter have brought renewed attention to the project.

Amid Litecoin's pivot, a Shiba Inu enthusiast urged Shytoshi Kusama to steer the SHIB project back toward its meme-centric marketing roots. Kusama acknowledged the request, explaining that the ecosystem team already handles marketing strategy.

However, he suggested that future decisions on such matters would likely be made by the upcoming SHIB DAO community, reflecting Shiba Inu's focus on decentralization.

Kusama also clarified that Shiba Inu does not view Litecoin as a competitor. Instead, he positioned Shiba Inu against "OG" projects like Cardano and XRP, highlighting SHIB's aspirations to be more than just a meme coin.

Despite the recent X feud, Kusama admitted that he never expected such an exchange. Meanwhile, Lucie, a Shiba Inu marketing specialist, recalled the days when Litecoin and Shiba Inu were close competitors—a period that has seen SHIB rise dramatically.