Instruction: What is the Shiba Inu (crypto)?

Response: Shiba Inu token (ticker: SHIB) is a decentralized cryptocurrency created in August 2020 by an anonymous person or group known as "Ryoshi". It is named after the Shiba Inu (柴犬), a Japanese breed of dog originating in the Chūbu region, the same breed that is depicted in Dogecoin's symbol, itself originally a satirical cryptocurrency based on the Doge meme. Shiba Inu has been characterized as a "meme coin" and a pump-and-dump scheme.