The launch of the world's first decentralized cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC), in 2009 fueled a lot of controversy and inspired a lot of memes. Nobody believed a digital currency could become p
The launch of the world's first decentralized cryptocurrency, Bitcoin (BTC), in 2009 fueled a lot of controversy and inspired a lot of memes. Nobody believed a digital currency could become popular and challenge Wall Street.
Meme coins like Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Dogecoin (DOGE) were launched within years of Bitcoin's launch, mocking the hype surrounding the cryptocurrency.
Bitcoin has a market cap of $1.6 trillion today. If it were a company, it would rank among the world's largest ones like Tesla (Nasdaq: TSLA).
Shiba Inu, the meme coin inspired by the eponymous Japanese dog breed, was launched in August 2020. Six years later, it has a market cap of $3.36 billion.
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Latest data shows that Shiba Inu could be on the way to deliver the highest-ever return for a third quarter since its launch.
As per the onchain analytics platform CryptoRank, SHIB's Q3 2026 return stands at 35.1% as of Sep. 23. The meme coin has delivered an average return of 4.82% and a median return of 2.56% for the third quarter so far.
Its highest Q3 return so far has been 9.64% in 2022, followed by 3.49% last year.
Shiba Inu Quarterly Returns, Source: CryptoRank
In fact, it is for the first time in its history that SHIB has delivered positive returns during all the three months of the third quarter of a year — at least, as of Sep. 23.
Here is how the current quarter is an extraordinary one for SHIB.
The meme coin delivered 12.2% return in July, against the average return of 1.72%. August's 7.55% return against the average 0.22% and September's 11.9% against the average 4.26% also stand out.
Shiba Inu Monthly Returns, Source: CryptoRankHowever, the 2026 price chart shows a more complicated story as Shiba Inu's price is down 18% this year. Its current price is still 93% lower than the all-time high (ATH) of $0.00008845 that it hit on Oct. 27, 2021.
At the time of writing, SHIB was exchanging hands at $0.00000566.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Cryptocurrency investments are highly volatile and risky. Always conduct your own research before making any investment decisions.
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