From $2K to $120M? The Shiba Inu Story That Got Away
When Shiba Inu launched in August 2020, it was little more than another meme-inspired token lost in the sea of new cryptocurrencies. Its early branding as the “Dogecoin Killer,” however, gave it an edge — drawing speculative traders eager to chase the next viral coin. That label set the stage for one of the most astonishing rallies in crypto history. From Obscurity to Viral Fame At first, Shiba Inu gained attention only in small trading circles. But as influencers and retail traders began amplifying its story online, the token’s price moves became impossible to ignore. By the start of 2021, SHIB was no longer just an obscure meme coin — it had entered the spotlight as a rival to Dogecoin itself. One of the earliest to track this rise was YouTube creator Zero Waiting, who documented SHIB’s breakout phase in multiple videos. He not only covered the surge but also invested himself, riding the bull wave while recommending it to friends. The $40K Exit That Could Have Been $120M In one of those stories, a friend of the influencer put $2,000 into SHIB after his recommendation. Within an hour, the holding had ballooned to $20,000. By the end of the day, it doubled again, turning into $40,000 — a jaw-dropping 1,900% gain in less than 24 hours. Overwhelmed by the windfall, the friend sold everything, walking away with $40,000 in profit. At the time, it felt like a dream trade. But months later, Shiba Inu shocked the world by soaring 88,000,000% in 2021. Had the investor held until October’s all-time high, that modest $2,000 bet would have transformed into an extraordinary $120 million. A Lesson From SHIB’s Meteoric Run Shiba Inu’s rise is now legendary, cementing itself as one of the biggest success stories in meme coin history. While the friend’s quick sell locked in early life-changing gains, it also highlights the unpredictability — and heartbreak — of crypto timing. As Zero Waiting reflected in his videos, SHIB’s story is both a reminder of how fortunes can be made overnight and how easily they can be cut short by selling too soon.
When Shiba Inu launched in August 2020, it was little more than another meme-inspired token lost in the sea of new cryptocurrencies. Its early branding as the “Dogecoin Killer,” however, gave it an edge — drawing speculative traders eager to chase the next viral coin. That label set the stage for one of the most astonishing rallies in crypto history.
From Obscurity to Viral Fame
At first, Shiba Inu gained attention only in small trading circles. But as influencers and retail traders began amplifying its story online, the token’s price moves became impossible to ignore. By the start of 2021, SHIB was no longer just an obscure meme coin — it had entered the spotlight as a rival to Dogecoin itself.
One of the earliest to track this rise was YouTube creator Zero Waiting, who documented SHIB’s breakout phase in multiple videos. He not only covered the surge but also invested himself, riding the bull wave while recommending it to friends.
The $40K Exit That Could Have Been $120M
In one of those stories, a friend of the influencer put $2,000 into SHIB after his recommendation. Within an hour, the holding had ballooned to $20,000. By the end of the day, it doubled again, turning into $40,000 — a jaw-dropping 1,900% gain in less than 24 hours.
Overwhelmed by the windfall, the friend sold everything, walking away with $40,000 in profit. At the time, it felt like a dream trade.
But months later, Shiba Inu shocked the world by soaring 88,000,000% in 2021. Had the investor held until October’s all-time high, that modest $2,000 bet would have transformed into an extraordinary $120 million.
A Lesson From SHIB’s Meteoric Run
Shiba Inu’s rise is now legendary, cementing itself as one of the biggest success stories in meme coin history. While the friend’s quick sell locked in early life-changing gains, it also highlights the unpredictability — and heartbreak — of crypto timing.
As Zero Waiting reflected in his videos, SHIB’s story is both a reminder of how fortunes can be made overnight and how easily they can be cut short by selling too soon.
The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or trading advice. Coindoo.com does not endorse or recommend any specific investment strategy or cryptocurrency. Always conduct your own research and consult with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions.
Alex is Editor-in-Chief of Coindoo and co-founder of Millennial Media Group, with nearly a decade of experience covering financial markets - crypto first, then everything else. It started in 2016 with Bitcoin. Like most people at the time, he didn't fully understand it - so he kept digging. Blockchain, tokenomics, the projects, the cycles. That curiosity never stopped, and eventually pulled him into traditional markets too: equities, commodities, macro. Not because he left crypto behind, but because you can't properly understand one without the other. What drives him is straightforward: he wants to know why something is happening, not just that it's happening. Most market coverage stops at the headline - price up, price down, here's a chart. Alex finds that kind of reporting actively unhelpful. If you walk away from an article without understanding the mechanism behind the move, what did you actually learn? He holds a degree in Tourism from New Bulgarian University - not the most obvious path into financial markets, but markets have a way of pulling in people who are simply too curious to stay out. He has authored over 200 in-depth analyses and more than 10,000 articles across crypto and traditional finance. He still thinks every day in markets teaches him something new. That's probably why he hasn't stopped.
