The meme cryptocurrency market is showing mixed signals this September 22, 2025. Shiba Inu (SHIB) experienced an abrupt 5% drop, triggered by a massive token transfer from a “whale.” In contrast, its rival Dogecoin (DOGE) managed a modest rebound from its recent historic lows, amidst a prolonged bear market for the sector.
The Whale Alert That Brought Down SHIB
Volatility returned to the Shiba Inu ecosystem this Monday. The SHIB token saw its price fall 5% in a matter of hours, losing the key support level of $0.000007. The catalyst for this sell-off was a massive movement detected by blockchain trackers.
A wallet, which had remained dormant since the 2021 bull market peaks, transferred 10 trillion SHIB tokens. These funds were split into several transactions directed at centralized marketplaces, including Binance and Coinbase, generating immediate fear of an imminent mass sell-off (“dump”) by this early investor. The SHIB community, known as the “SHIB Army,” is nervously watching to see if these tokens will flood the market.
On the other side of the “meme coin” spectrum, Dogecoin (DOGE) showed a slight sign of life. The original dog token bounced 3% in the last 24 hours, recovering from a three-year low it had hit at $0.045. Although the rebound is timid, it represents a relief for holders who have seen a constant erosion of its value over the past year.
The Long Shadow of the Bear Market on ‘Meme Coins’
The SHIB news is particularly sensitive given the current market context. During 2024 and 2025, the “meme coin” category has been one of the hardest hit by the extended bear market. They have risen less than Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) during bounces and have fallen much harder during corrections.
This event highlights a fundamental risk that has always plagued Shiba Inu: supply concentration. Despite token burns and the development of the Layer 2 network, Shibarium, a large portion of SHIB remains in the hands of a few wallets. Today’s movement is a stark reminder that these whales have the ability to drastically influence the price, regardless of the project’s fundamentals or general retail market sentiment. Panic sets in easily when “dormant” supply awakens.
Immediate Impact and Investor Sentiment
For Shiba Inu, the short-term implication is a significant increase in selling pressure. The loss of the $0.000007 level is seen by technical analysts as a bearish breakdown that could open the door to new lows. Retail investors now face a dilemma: hold (HODL) in the hope the whale won’t sell, or sell to protect themselves from a steeper drop. General sentiment on social media has turned markedly negative in the last few hours.
For Dogecoin, the bounce from $0.045 is technically relevant. This level represents an important psychological floor that bulls needed to defend. Although the 3% rebound is modest, it comes amid new rumors of a possible future integration with the X platform (formerly Twitter), although, as usual, there has been no official confirmation from Elon Musk or the company.
Divergence on the ‘Meme Coin’ Horizon
In summary, September 22, 2025, demonstrates the persistent fragility of the meme cryptocurrency sector. While Shiba Inu faces a tangible internal threat from a possible whale liquidation, Dogecoin is looking to establish a market floor after a prolonged decline.
The future outlook for SHIB will depend entirely on whether those 10 trillion tokens are sold on the open market or if it was simply a redistribution of funds. For DOGE, investors will remain watchful for any concrete developments in its use cases, beyond speculation, to see if this bounce can turn into a true trend reversal.
