Shytoshi Kusama, the elusive leader of the Shiba Inu team, allegedly made his first public appearance at the IVS 2024 Web3 startup event in Japan. This significant event saw Kusama interacting with attendees, but there’s a twist – his identity remains uncertain due to his elaborate disguise.
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Mysterious Appearance at the SHIB Booth
A Japanese SHIB fan, @kuro_9696_9696, shared a video from the event. In the footage, a man dressed in black clothing and concealed by two masks and a hood is seen engaging with IVS 2024 participants at the SHIB booth.
The attire, resembling a Batman costume, included a hood and a plague doctor mask covering the upper part of his face, on top of another mask that hid the rest of his face, with only eye slots visible. Earlier this week, Kusama hinted at his debut public appearance at IVS 2024. On Thursday, he tweeted, inviting the SHIB army to join his “first ever meet and greet” around noon local time. This created anticipation among fans and followers.
Maintaining Anonymity
Shytoshi Kusama has consistently kept his real name and appearance secret since he succeeded the enigmatic founder Ryoshi in 2021. He revealed that “Shy” reflects his natural inclination to avoid the public, “-toshi” honors Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto, and “Kusama” pays tribute to Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Despite his mentor advising him to reveal his identity, Kusama has remained hidden.
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Last August, he promised to speak at the ETH Toronto event to present Shibarium. Instead, he delivered a pre-recorded, AI-processed speech. The SHIB price reacted positively to Kusama’s “coming out.” Despite a massive 15% drop overnight, the meme coin regained 5% of its losses. This partial recovery indicates that Kusama’s alleged public appearance had a reassuring effect on the market.
While Shytoshi Kusama’s identity remains shrouded in mystery, his supposed public appearance at IVS 2024 created a buzz. His elaborate disguise keeps his anonymity intact, yet his presence continues to impact the SHIB community and market.
