Understanding the Recent Surge in Shiba Inu Prices: A 13% Increase Explained

The Shiba Inu (SHIB) price has experienced an unexpected increase of over 13% recently, breaking free from a prolonged bearish trend that had dampened its momentum. As we are now in 2026, it appears to be a pivotal time for the cryptocurrency market, with meme coins like Shiba Inu benefitting from a broader bullish trend and increasing demand. Current on-chain data sheds light on the factors driving this recent price surge.

Key Takeaways

Shiba Inu's price jumped over 13% on January 4, 2026, signaling a turn in market sentiment.
The increase was primarily driven by accumulation from large holders (whales) rather than a rise in retail demand.
Whale wallets hold approximately 62.65% of the total Shiba Inu supply, influencing short-term price volatility.
As of now, Shiba Inu has gained more than 32% Year-to-Date (YTD) in 2026.

Shiba Inu

Key Factors Driving the Shiba Inu Price Rally

On January 4th, Shiba Inu surged more than 13% as the 2026 meme coin frenzy began unexpectedly, leading to capital rotation among speculative assets. Data from Santiment, a crypto analytics platform, indicates that this sudden price increase was mainly fueled by aggressive accumulation from large holders rather than a significant uptick in retail interest.

According to Santiment's analysts on X, substantial holders have been tightening their grip on Shiba Inu's supply amidst low retail distribution, implying increased confidence among major whale wallets. This suggests that the recent price rally was not a result of temporary, hype-driven purchases.

The price surge for Shiba Inu started at the beginning of January 2026, following a period of consolidation near recent lows. This bounce comes after a long downward trend that lasted from late October to December 2025, making the 13% increase a notable change in momentum.

Shiba Inu
Source: Chart from Santiment on X

In conjunction with the price movement, Santiment's chart shows a rising trend in the percentage of SHIB supply held by the top 10 whale wallets. Despite price fluctuations in the latter half of 2025, this percentage has steadily increased, indicating ongoing accumulation even amid weak market conditions.

As of the latest analysis, the largest wallets collectively possess about 62.65% of the total Shiba Inu supply. Such a concentration of holdings is unusual and gives these large token holders significant sway over short-term price movements. The largest wallet by itself controls approximately 41% of the total SHIB supply, valued at around $3.3 billion.

Other major whale wallets hold between 2.8% and 5.7%, with some individual addresses worth hundreds of millions. Notably, Shiba Inu's recent price surge aligns with a visible increase in whale concentration noted on the right side of the chart. As more supply becomes locked away, available liquidity decreases, enabling moderate buying pressure to drive prices much higher.

Shiba Inu's Performance in 2026

According to Santiment, Shiba Inu's performance in 2026 has already seen a Year-to-Date (YTD) gain of over 32%. If the concentration of wallets remains high and whales continue to increase their wealth, we can expect ongoing volatility as prices respond rapidly to changes in the behavior of these large holders. Currently, Shiba Inu is trading at $0.00000916, reflecting a roughly 5% increase in just one day.

Shiba Inu
SHIB trading at $0.0000091 on the 1D chart | Source: SHIBUSDT on Tradingview.com