Shiba Inu (SHIB) developer Kaal Dhairya recently reminded Ethereum 
$3,094 co-founder Vitalik Buterin about the substantial SHIB donation made to the CryptoRelief fund, which had a “multibillion-dollar” share. This reminder coincided with the announcement that former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao had donated $10 million worth of BNB coins to Buterin’s open-source biotech project that week. Despite Buterin expressing gratitude to Zhao and CryptoRelief founder, Polygon Foundation CEO Sandeep Nailwal, he failed to acknowledge SHIB, causing some investors to express their disappointment. The issue heated up when the 2021 incident was recalled in which Shiba Inu’s creator Ryoshi sent 500 trillion SHIB tokens (50% of the total supply) to Buterin.
Forgotten Share of SHIB Donations
In May 2021, Buterin burned 410 trillion SHIB coins (worth approximately $6.7 billion) permanently while transferring about $1 billion worth of SHIB to Nailwal’s CryptoRelief fund. This transaction was noted as one of the largest donations within the cryptocurrency world and significantly boosted SHIB’s global visibility.
Dhairya stated that this substantial contribution was overlooked in Buterin’s recent thank-you message, highlighting that “SHIB donations played a crucial role.” The Shiba Inu community agreed on feeling “overlooked,” emphasizing that the donation directed CryptoRelief’s pandemic-focused public health projects. SHIB investors requested that their assets’ significant share in the initiative’s funding stream be acknowledged.
Transparency Debate Ignites
Buterin’s omission in acknowledging Shiba Inu while expressing gratitude to Zhao and Nailwal has sparked discussions on transparency within the community. Some supporters argued that while the BNB donation drew media attention, SHIB’s “historic” contribution cannot be disregarded.
Due to regulatory uncertainties, a portion of SHIB was returned to Buterin from CryptoRelief, later contributing to the establishment of the Balvi Philanthropic Fund. In March last year, Buterin mentioned that SHIB had created an impact “beyond expectations.” The ongoing debate highlighted the necessity of sharing a transparent donation history within projects.
