The Shib Network State: Shytoshi Kusama's Vision for a Meme Coin Turned Sovereign Entity

The Shiba Inu ecosystem is renowned for its meme-driven origins and the community-oriented spirit that has fueled its growth. Now, the visionary behind Shiba Inu, Shytoshi Kusama, unveils a grand vision for the project, aiming to elevate it beyond the realm of a mere meme coin.

In the recent episode of Kusama’s podcast, titled “Meme Mania and the 36 Chambers of Tech,” the host outlined an ambitious goal for Shiba Inu—to forge a “Shib Network State” that leverages four core tokens, a global community, and a digital territory.

This concept, while initially presented as a jest, is framed within the parameters of the Montevideo Convention, an international treaty that defines the criteria for statehood. As per the treaty, four key elements are necessary: governance, a substantial population, a defined territory, and the capacity for international relations.

Kusama’s vision aligns with these criteria, viewing Shiba Inu as a self-governing digital entity. The governance structure is realized through the project’s quad-token system.

“We have SHIB to govern community, as I’ve mentioned, BONE to govern technology, LEASH to govern everything that has to do with judicial matters, and TREAT that governs innovation and also governs marketing.”

This quad-token system ensures community participation in decision-making at various levels.

Furthermore, the vast Shib Army, estimated to number at least six to seven million based on social media metrics, would constitute the population of this network state. Notably, Kusama revealed that on-chain data, exposed during the collapse of FTX, showed many more holders than initially estimated.

The territory aspect of statehood takes on a digital form in the Shiba Inu ecosystem. Both the upcoming Shiba Inu metaverse and new domain names like “shib.com” are highlighted as providing the territory for the community.

Moreover, the project’s multi-chain capabilities ensure the network state can interact with other “states.” This enables the seamless movement of tokens and assets between various blockchains, fostering relationships with other digital ecosystems.

Kusama's grand vision for the Shiba Inu ecosystem is fueled by the goal of making advanced technology accessible to all.

“We are trying to make Web3 feel like Web2. We are trying to make it feel like you are just using the internet normally, without having to think about crypto or anything like this.”

Through the continued evolution of the network state, Shiba Inu is aiming to become not just a meme but a technologically advanced, decentralized ecosystem. The focus, as always, is on building a system that benefits the entire Shib community, a community that will continue to propel the project forward.