Shiba Inu has officially launched the "Shib Owes You" (SOU) system, an on-chain NFT mechanism designed to support users impacted by the September 2025 Shibarium bridge exploit. The initiative, announced via the project's official X account, represents a good-faith effort to provide payouts, donations, and occasional rewards to affected community members.
Each SOU NFT serves as a cryptographic proof of claim, permanently recorded on the Ethereum blockchain. It tracks a principal amount owed to a specific user, which decreases as payouts are made or community donations are received. The NFTs are transparent, tradable, and can be transferred, split, merged, or traded on marketplaces.
The entire SOU system, including minting, payouts, and transfers, has undergone a security audit by blockchain security firm Hexens. The audit focused on asset recovery logic, repayment flows, NFT mechanics, and overall fund safety. The system was initially introduced by Shiba Inu developer Kaal Dhairya in a 2025 year-end message, emphasizing a commitment to making affected users whole.
The community reaction has been mixed. While lead ambassador Shytoshi Kusama praised the team's work, some users criticized the move as a "hollow gesture" and accused the project of "tokenizing an apology." The launch comes as Shiba Inu's native token, SHIB, faces market headwinds, having lost over 20% of its value in the past 30 days amid a broader downturn in memecoin interest.
On-chain data indicates potential selling pressure, with a net flow of 182 billion SHIB tokens into exchanges recorded on Monday, representing a 110% spike. Meanwhile, other major memecoins like Dogecoin (DOGE) have also struggled, down 26.6% over the past month, while Pepe (PEPE) has shown relative strength with a 23% weekly gain.
