The official Shiba Inu account on X lost its gold verification checkmark this week, sparking widespread concern among the token's 3.9 million followers. The unexpected change triggered speculation across the cryptocurrency community about potential problems within the project. The move affected multiple accounts connected to the Shiba Inu ecosystem. K9 Finance, a Shibarium participant, confirmed that affiliate verification badges linked to the main account's business subscription were removed. The change impacted several key projects including Shib Metaverse, ShibariumNet, and developer Kaal Dhairya's account. Strategic Decision Behind Badge Removal LC, the administrator of the Shiba Inu X account, clarified the situation directly with affected partners. The decision came down to cost reduction rather than any shift in project direction or relationships. K9 Finance shared this information after speaking with account management. The official account addressed the situation publicly, confirming several operational changes. The team reapplied the gold verification badge but eliminated affiliate connections. Management emphasized that priorities remain unchanged, with attention focused squarely on the SHIB token itself. The adjustment follows recent criticism from community members regarding the account's content strategy. Some followers expressed dissatisfaction with posts promoting tokens outside the Shiba Inu ecosystem. The streamlined approach appears to address these concerns while reducing operational expenses. Business subscriptions on X come with monthly fees that scale based on affiliated accounts. By removing these connections, the project cuts recurring costs without affecting core operations. Each affiliated badge requires separate verification and ongoing subscription payments. Market Performance Remains Steady SHIB traded at $0.000007383 at press time, showing a 1.44% decline over 24 hours. The token reversed a five-day losing streak with a sharp rally to $0.00000765 on Friday. Price action suggests investors viewed the verification changes as administrative rather than substantive. SHIB price chart, Source: CoinMarketCap Coinbase launched Shiba Inu perpetual futures this week, expanding trading options for the memecoin. The new product offers leveraged exposure to SHIB price movements. This development provides additional liquidity and institutional access to the token.
