Shiba Inu vs. Bitcoin: The Better Long-Term Play?
Key Points
Bitcoin leads the crypto market and is a digital store of value for individuals, corporations, and institutional investors.
Shiba Inu had a brief period of success in 2021, but there's nothing to suggest it has long-term value.
- 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin ›
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) and Shiba Inu (CRYPTO: SHIB) are two of the most popular cryptocurrencies, and both have been millionaire makers for early investors.
That's where the similarities end. In most respects, these cryptocurrencies are polar opposites, including their prospects as investments.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »
Image source: Getty Images.
Bitcoin is the clear choice over Shiba Inu
While there are millions of cryptocurrencies, it's a top-heavy market that's dominated by Bitcoin. Bitcoin has been the largest cryptocurrency from the beginning, and its $1.7 trillion market cap makes up nearly 60% of the entire crypto market (as of Dec. 18).
One of Bitcoin's key features is a hard cap of 21 million coins. This built-in scarcity has helped turn it into a digital store of value used by individuals, companies, and institutional investors.
Shiba Inu has a maximum supply, as well -- but of nearly 590 trillion SHIB tokens, not what anyone would consider scarce. It also hasn't been a reliable source of value. Shiba Inu's price skyrocketed in 2021, but since then, it has lost over 90% of its value. As a meme coin, Shiba Inu is a speculative asset without any legitimate value.
Bitcoin is highly volatile, but it has been the most resilient cryptocurrency, recovering from every bear market. Although Bitcoin experienced an extended downturn starting in 2021, it rebounded and set new all-time highs in 2024 and 2025.
If you're going to invest in cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is worth having in your portfolio, considering how important it is to the market. Shiba Inu is better off avoiding, as there's no reason to expect its value will increase going forward.
Should you buy stock in Bitcoin right now?
Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Bitcoin wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $509,039!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,109,506!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 972% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 193% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of December 21, 2025.
Lyle Daly has positions in Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Recommended Articles
