Tensions escalated within the Shiba Inu community after the July 31 IDO launch of Positions Exchange’s native token (POE). Shiba Inu leaders Shytoshi Kusama and Kaal Dhairya, both serving as advisors to Positions Exchange, promoted the IDO on their X timelines. This endorsement angered WoofSwap, a top Shibarium-based DEX.
The platform criticized Kusama and the official Shiba Inu handle for allegedly giving preferential treatment to certain projects. WoofSwap argued that this favoritism creates an uneven playing field for developers and undermines fairness within the ecosystem. The DEX stated, “If I don’t speak out, my only other option is to walk away from the game entirely.”
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Dhairya Acknowledges Concerns but Calls for Unity
In response, Dhairya admitted that WoofSwap’s concerns were valid. However, he highlighted his efforts to ensure WoofSwap received fair recognition. Dhairya stated that the real issue facing Shiba Inu is not a selective endorsement but a lack of unity. He noted that personal bias often drives ecosystem decisions, causing legitimate projects to suffer.
Dhairya stressed that bringing in advisors and influencers is a common practice in crypto, including within Shiba Inu’s ecosystem. While he views this as acceptable, he insisted on higher standards for promoted projects.
Call for Stronger Governance and Transparency
Moreover, Dhairya urged the community to unite against external challenges, such as rival projects pushing SHIB out of the top 10 rankings and entities attempting to weaken the token. He called on the community to pressure organizations like the Ethereum Foundation and Vitalik Buterin to publicly support SHIB.
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To foster fairness, Dhairya proposed empowering the Shiba Inu DAO and enabling genuine community governance. He believes this would give all members an equal voice in deciding which projects to support, ensuring transparency and ending favoritism.
Additionally, Dhairya suggested leveraging the quad-token governance model and the “Great Canine Code,” an ethical framework designed to hold leaders like Kusama accountable and prevent misuse of influence. Meanwhile, the POE IDO performed poorly. Consequently, the Positions Exchange team halted the sale and pledged to refund all contributions.
