Chitoshi Kusama, the mysterious lead developer behind the Shiba Inu cryptocurrency project, made his first public appearance today at the Infinity Venture Summit (IVS) 2024 conference in Kyoto. The venue, packed with Web3 enthusiasts and developers, served as the backdrop for what many expected to be a revealing moment. However, Kusama’s choice of costume—a set of two masks with a hood—ensured that his physical features were concealed, thus preserving his anonymity.
Shiba Inu’s lead developer remains anonymous.
Kusama’s costume immediately drew attention for its dramatic style: the primary mask resembled a plague doctor’s mask, covering the upper part of the face, while the secondary mask obscured the lower facial features, leaving only his eyes visible through narrow slits. The costume reflected his previously stated desire for privacy due to his “shy and quiet” nature.
Despite the physical barrier between Kusama and the event participants, his presence was felt. Videos circulating online, particularly from a Japanese SHIB community member known on Twitter as @kuro_9696_9696, showed Kusama interacting with participants at the SHIB booth.
Chitoshi!!🔥Chitoshi!!🔥🔥🔥
Video Provider: @riri_shibarmy
#Shiba Inu Coin #SHIB #IVS2024 #IVSCrypto pic.twitter.com/z5rweQoCKV
– Kuro🐾Shibarmi JPN🇯🇵 (@kuro_9696_9696) July 5, 2024
We love this friendly chitoshi 🥰🫶
Video Provider: @riri_shibarmy
#Shiba Inu Coin #SHIB #IVS2024 #IVSCrypto pic.twitter.com/nRnkntEdkC
– Kuro🐾Shibarmi JPN🇯🇵 (@kuro_9696_9696) July 5, 2024
Since then, these clips have become a focal point for the Shiba Inu community online, illustrating the curiosity and excitement that Kusama’s appearance, albeit hidden, has sparked. Amidst this scene, WeCreate3, a student-led Web3 initiative, was able to briefly interact with Kusama, and discuss a potential collaboration with Shiba Inu.
Thank you! @shitoshikosama As a Web3 student community in Japan, we look forward to collaborating with SHIB! To the moon!🚀🚀🚀
We are the SHIB student army🔥🔥#Chipermi_Army #SHIBC_Community #SHIB pic.twitter.com/wpA4YhITMQ
— WeCreate3 (@We_Create_3) July 5, 2024
The decision to remain masked, as expected, has drawn a range of reactions from the SHIB community. Some attendees and online commentators praised Kusama for his commitment to appearing in person, seeing it as a bold step toward greater engagement with the community. Conversely, others expressed frustration, arguing that the act of hiding behind a mask at a public event goes against the principles of transparency and openness that many had come to expect following his recent statement on X where he announced his “first-ever meet and greet.”
The incident has sparked debates about the nature of leadership and transparency within decentralized projects. Kusama’s predecessors, including Shiba Inu’s original creator Ryuichi, have also chosen to remain anonymous, a tradition that has shaped the project’s culture and operational ethos. Since taking over from Ryuichi in 2022, Kusama has led Shiba Inu through various stages of development and market volatility, all while his true identity has remained shrouded in mystery.
In his tweets leading up to the event, Kusama indicated a desire to shift away from his isolationist tendencies to take a more assertive role in promoting Web3. However, his continued anonymity at IVS 2024 points to a complex balancing act between personal privacy and public leadership responsibilities.
At IVS2024, Kusama’s actions mirrored his previous behavior. In August last year, he promised to give a speech at the ETH Toronto event during the unveiling of Shibarium. However, instead of appearing in person, he opted to deliver a pre-recorded speech processed using AI software.
At the time of publishing this report, SHIB stock was trading at $0.00001378.
Featured image by X @Ras_Mekanchart from TradingView.com
