SHIB gains Japan retail push through Rakuten Wallet

Rakuten Wallet said it is preparing a physical Shiba Inu coin for its “Real Coin” series, adding SHIB to a lineup that already includes Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP replicas. 

The company said the earlier coins were well received at event booths and that the SHIB version is now in production.

The coin is a souvenir item, not a blockchain asset. Rakuten Wallet framed it as part of its offline engagement strategy, where users can see and handle crypto-themed replicas at events. The company did not give a release date for the SHIB coin.

The move gives Shiba Inu another retail-facing role in Japan. Instead of only appearing on trading screens, SHIB is being used in branded campaigns, rewards, and physical merchandise.

Rakuten Wallet is part of Rakuten Group, one of Japan’s largest consumer internet companies. That gives SHIB exposure to a wider audience than crypto-only platforms usually reach.

SHIB campaign adds token rewards

Rakuten Wallet is also running a SHIB campaign tied to spot trading activity. Users who trade more than 30,000 yen in spot crypto can receive 500,000 SHIB, worth about 500 yen. Users who trade more than 100,000 yen can receive an additional 1,000,000 SHIB, worth about 1,000 yen.

The offer is small, but it shows how Japanese platforms are using meme coins as rewards. SHIB’s low unit price makes it easy to distribute large token amounts in low-value campaigns. That can make the reward feel more visible to retail users.

As crypto.news reported, Rakuten Wallet recently launched a dog photo contest that rewarded selected users with SHIB and DOGE. That campaign linked meme coins to pet photos, social sharing, and simple user activity.

The same report said Rakuten Wallet added SHIB and DOGE to its supported assets earlier this year. It also noted that Rakuten’s wider consumer ecosystem gives listed tokens access to a known retail brand in Japan.

Japan retail crypto rails grow

The SHIB replica coin follows other crypto moves by Rakuten-linked services. As crypto.news reported, Rakuten Wallet added XRP features that allow users to convert loyalty points into XRP and use the asset for QR payments at more than 5 million merchant locations in Japan.

That earlier report said Rakuten Pay had about 44 million active users. It also noted that Rakuten’s loyalty ecosystem has more than 3 trillion points in circulation, giving crypto campaigns a large consumer base.

Previously, crypto.news explored how SBI, Rakuten, and Nomura were preparing crypto investment trusts in Japan. The report showed that major financial and consumer brands are moving crypto closer to mainstream investment and payment products.

Japan has also been working on tax and market rule changes for digital assets. In a previous article, crypto.news discussed Japan’s path toward a 20% crypto tax rate, which could place crypto gains closer to the treatment of financial products.

SHIB price remains weak

The marketing push comes as Shiba Inu remains under price pressure. According to crypto.news price data, SHIB traded near $0.0000043-$0.0000044 on June 25. The token was down over 9% for the week and more than 20% over the past month, based on the latest market data.

SHIB’s market cap stood near $2.5 billion to $2.6 billion, while 24-hour trading volume was around $74 million to $80 million. The token remains far below its October 2021 all-time high of $0.0000862.

The price action shows that retail campaigns do not automatically change market direction. SHIB still trades with the broader meme coin market, where risk appetite, liquidity, and Bitcoin’s trend often drive short-term moves.