Shiba Inu Derivatives Activity Gains Attention
Shiba Inu has recently stood out in the derivatives market as futures traders show renewed interest. Toward the end of December 2025, data from CoinGlass indicated that open interest in SHIB futures increased within a single day, even as broader market leaders experienced declines. This shift positioned SHIB ahead of both Bitcoin and XRP in this metric, signaling a change in trader sentiment. Rising open interest often reflects growing conviction, suggesting that some market participants are positioning for potential future volatility or recovery despite current price softness.
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Burn Activity Slows and Deflation Narrative Weakens
In contrast to derivatives optimism, token burn activity has cooled significantly. Community led burns that previously removed tens of millions of tokens per day dropped sharply during the same period. Only a small fraction of that volume was destroyed within twenty four hours, highlighting a near pause in aggressive supply reduction. For a project where deflation plays a central role in long term value narratives, this slowdown has raised concerns among holders. Reduced burn momentum weakens one of the most widely cited catalysts supporting price appreciation.
Shibarium Reaches a Major Usage Milestone
On the network side, Shibarium delivered a strong positive signal by surpassing one billion total transactions. This milestone reflects sustained growth in user activity and application usage across the ecosystem. Daily transaction counts have remained robust, demonstrating that Shibarium is evolving beyond experimentation into a heavily utilized scaling solution. Increased on chain activity strengthens the case for long term utility rather than reliance on speculative cycles.
Artificial Intelligence Expands Ecosystem Utility
Shibarium development has also expanded into artificial intelligence integrations. Collaborations with platforms backed by NVIDIA and Alibaba Cloud, alongside gaming focused initiatives, aim to embed AI driven features into decentralized applications. These efforts are designed to enhance user engagement through smarter gaming mechanics, analytics, and reward systems. Planned technical publications are expected to outline how AI will be woven deeper into the network roadmap.
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Market Pressure Keeps Short Term Outlook Cautious
Despite these structural advancements, broader market weakness continues to weigh on SHIB. Price performance remains subdued as macroeconomic uncertainty and reduced social engagement dampen speculative enthusiasm. Slower burns and muted capital flows have reinforced caution among traders. However, growing derivatives interest combined with Shibarium adoption and AI driven expansion suggests that Shiba Inu may be laying groundwork for renewed relevance. While near term sentiment is restrained, the ecosystem developments point toward potential opportunities as market conditions improve in the coming year.
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Dr. Olajide Samuel juggles the demands of medical studies with a passion for cryptocurrency. A seasoned blogger, Olajide shares his vast global knowledge of the crypto space, offering insights to enthusiasts. Despite his busy schedule, his commitment to crypto remains strong, and he actively seeks ways to contribute to its future.
