Public interest in Shibarium, the Layer-2 scaling solution for the Shiba Inu ecosystem, has collapsed dramatically. According to Google Trends data, search interest plummeted from a peak of 100% at 1:00 p.m. UTC on February 18, 2026, to absolute zero within just 45 minutes. The figure has remained at zero for over 24 hours, indicating a near-total absence of public curiosity about the network.
The sudden drop has rattled the Shiba Inu community and broader crypto observers. Analysts believe the initial surge in search interest was triggered by a report covering the Shiba Inu team's launch of a new user restoration mechanism designed to compensate affected Shibarium users through structured payouts and periodic rewards. Once this initial buzz faded, search traffic evaporated almost entirely.
The collapse in search interest coincides with significant price pressure on SHIB. Over the past 30 days, SHIB has lost more than 20.1% of its value, reflecting sustained bearish sentiment. In the last 24 hours alone, SHIB dropped from an intraday high of $0.000006538 to a low of $0.000006143—a decline of over 3.8%. At the time of reporting, SHIB trades at $0.00000623, marking a 2.47% loss within the same 24-hour window.
Despite the price weakness, Shiba Inu's 24-hour trading volume rose 4.47% to $114.27 million. Elevated volume during a price decline can indicate strong selling activity, though it also reflects ongoing market participation.
This event highlights a recurring pattern of volatility for Shibarium. In January, the network recorded a 36% decline in Total Value Locked (TVL) even as Shiba Inu's price rebounded, contrary to expectations that on-chain activity would increase with price recovery. More than one-third of funds previously locked within Shibarium-based protocols were withdrawn, pointing to a persistent disconnect between price action and actual network engagement.
The ecosystem now faces the critical challenge of demonstrating real utility to stem capital flight and regain retail interest beyond speculative spikes. The outlook for Shibarium remains uncertain as it struggles to sustain consistent on-chain activity independent of broader market excitement.
