Shiba Inu VS. Dogecoin: Can SHIB Bring Down the Meme Coin King? Experts weigh in

Will Shiba Inu (SHIB) replace Dogecoin (DOGE) to become king of meme coins? According to a new poll conducted by Finder, the answer may be "no"—at least for now. The survey, which included insights from 14 financial professionals, found that 79% believe SHIB will never surpass DOGE in terms of market capitalization. Only 7% believe Shiba Inu could topple Dogecoin, predicting it could happen by 2026, while the remaining 14% remain undecided. This great skepticism underscores the popular belief in the market: despite its popularity, Shiba Inu still faces serious obstacles to overtaking Dogecoin. Large supply remains SHIB's Achilles heel One of the biggest barriers? Supply. Dr. Sathvik Vishwanath, regional head at Unocoin, pointed out the stark difference in circulating supply between the two tokens. SHIB has a circulating supply of 589.25 trillion, compared to DOGE's 148.82 billion. Even with the strong backing of the Shiba Inu community and promising tokenomics, Vishwanath thinks that such a huge supply will prevent SHIB from reaching DOGE's market cap in any real-world timeframe. The market gap is still wide As of now, Dogecoin holds the 8th position in the global cryptocurrency ranking with a market capitalization of $24.6 billion, while Shiba Inu comes in at number 17 with just $7.3 billion. For SHIB to catch up, the coin's value needs to increase by 240%, assuming the price of Dogecoin remains constant and both coins maintain their current supply. Whale activity signals a change in sentiment While experts remain skeptical, on-chain data tells a different story. According to IntoTheBlock, Shiba Inu has recently seen a drastic increase in whale activity, with daily trading volume skyrocketing from 96 billion SHIB on April 13 to 224 billion SHIB on April 14. This type of move from large holders could indicate that institutional investors and whales are positioning themselves ahead of a potential bull run, suggesting sentiment may be shifting, even if analysts are not yet engaged. A look back at 2021: SHIB's short reign This isn't the first time SHIB has come close to DOGE. Back in 2021, Shiba Inu temporarily surpassed Dogecoin in market capitalization, reaching $39 billion. But this victory was fleeting—Dogecoin quickly regained its status as the top meme currency. Even so, SHIB's rise has proven its ability to mobilize retail investors and attract attention, suggesting that the bank's story of weakness is not over. What is the next step for SHIB and DOGE? While expert sentiment remains mostly pessimistic about SHIB overtaking DOGE, an increase in whale trades could set the stage for price action. With the cryptocurrency market notoriously volatile, the dynamics of meme coins can change quickly. Only time and whales can tell if SHIB can truly return.