Shiba Inu, the Dogecoin-killer, experienced a surge on Thursday following the announcement of a new upgrade in the ecosystem. One of the lead developers revealed that Shibarium would soon enable users to link non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to real-world assets. This will provide proof of ownership and authentication for physical items. Shibarium is a layer 2 blockchain that focuses on NFTs and is expected to be launched later in the year. The blockchain will operate using the Shiba Inu ecosystem’s three tokens: SHIB, BONE, and LEASH. Shibarium is expected to include blockchain gaming, decentralized entertainment, account abstraction, and international governance, according to the developer Shytoshi Kusama’s Thursday blog post.
Shibacals: The New Frontier in NFT Authentication
Kusama also unveiled that Shibarium would be establishing trust through various systems, one of which will be “authenticated collectibles” known as “Shibacals.” Shibacals focus on authenticity and aesthetic appeal, creating a layer of authentication that elevates the concept of collectibility. Kusama believes that authenticity and aesthetic appeal are core components of what defines a collectible, alongside scarcity, demand, historical significance, and other factors. Shibacals will authenticate real-world items through an NFC chip, which can link to “dynamic destinations setting up myriad possibilities that are ideal for businesses.” The idea is similar to authentication of items on eBay, but Shibarium will also create items in-house and leverage blockchain transactions.
Kusama revealed that Shibacals collectibles may take 4 to 6 weeks to complete as they will typically be of high quality and handmade. Developers are already in discussions with multiple blockchain teams to leverage its authentication tech. Kusama believes that any crypto community, from Bitcoin Ordinals to preferred alt-coins, can leverage this service to rapidly boost engagement through the production of authenticated collectibles.
After the announcement, SHIB rose by as much as 11% on the day, from $0.000007529 to $0.000008408 by 6:15 am ET. However, the coin quickly retraced much of its gains, retreating to $0.000007824 at writing time. Despite this, SHIB is still up 16% on the week, rising alongside Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies following BlackRock’s Bitcoin spot ETF filing last week.
Shibacals present a new frontier in NFT authentication, and Shibarium’s upcoming launch is eagerly anticipated by many in the crypto community. Shibacals’ authentication layer is expected to supercharge the concept of collectibility, and its potential to authenticate real-world items via an NFC chip is exciting for businesses. Shibacals’ authenticity and aesthetic appeal are expected to make them highly sought-after collectibles. The possibilities are endless, and Shibarium’s expected launch later this year will be closely watched by investors and developers alike.