- Vitalik sold 150B Puppies (~$114K) and 1B of another ERC-20 (~$13.9K), triggering a ~70% plunge in the latter.
- SHIB held relatively steady (~$0.00001174), but sentiment across meme coins turned jumpy fast.
- Pattern remains: Vitalik doesn’t keep gifted meme coins—he sells; traders should expect volatility spikes, not guaranteed SHIB trend changes.
Vitalik Buterin just poked the memecoin beehive again. On Sept. 28, 2025, the Ethereum co-founder sold 150B Puppies for ~28.58 ETH (about $114K) and offloaded 1B of another ERC-20 for $13.9K USDC. The smaller ERC-20 cratered ~70% once wallets tracked the move on-chain. Yeah—déjà vu from the 2021 SHIB saga, when Vitalik’s donations + burns permanently rewired Shiba Inu’s supply narrative.
Why this hits different (but also… kinda the same)
Back in 2021, SHIB devs famously sent a massive chunk of supply to Vitalik. He donated a big slice (India COVID relief), burned the rest, and—boom—SHIB’s circulating supply changed overnight. That moment made history, good or bad depending who you ask.
Fast-forward: this week’s sales aren’t about SHIB directly, but the pattern is the same—Vitalik doesn’t keep unsolicited meme coins. He sells. Markets notice. And the ripple (pun not intended) spreads fast across smaller tokens.
Market reaction, quick + messy
- The unnamed ERC-20 fell ~70% almost instantly.
- Puppies faced heat across platforms and CT.
- SHIB itself? Around $0.00001174 at writing, roughly -0.57% on the day—muted, but still under watch.
History says his wallet activity moves sentiment, even when it’s not SHIB he’s selling. Holders learned this the hard way in 2021—when Vitalik gets meme coins, he exits. Simple as that.
What it could mean for SHIB next
- Sentiment shock, not a supply shock. This wasn’t a SHIB sale. But it refreshes the memory of 2021 and can spook the meme sector broadly.
- Volatility pockets. Tokens “near” Vitalik narratives can whipsaw on headlines, even if fundamentals don’t change that minute.
- Attention ≠ automatic downside. The 2021 arc ultimately drew bigger eyes to SHIB, fueling community growth after the initial panic. It’s messy—first dip, then discourse, sometimes fresh demand.
Trader’s lens (keep it practical)
If you’re in meme-coin land:
- Expect headline risk. Wallet trackers amplify every move; price reacts first, context catches up later.
- Size positions sanely. Especially in tokens with low float or thin liquidity—slippage can be brutal.
- Separate SHIB from “everything else.” This week’s sell pressure targeted other memes; SHIB’s reaction so far is comparatively subdued.
Bottom line
The symbolic weight is heavy, the notional size smaller than 2021. Markets may do the classic two-step—panic, then rethink. SHIB’s core story hasn’t shifted on this headline alone, but short-term sentiment across memes can stay twitchy. Much wow? still… just with a little side-eye.
