Recent tensions emerge as Achi's NFT auction divides the Shiba Inu community, raising questions about partnerships and community outreach.

Renowned for its endearing memes, unique language, and grand tributes to cherished pets, the lucrative world of Shiba Inu-themed meme coins represents a realm of affectionate camaraderie.

However, recent tensions within the Solana ecosystem—home to the burgeoning Dogwifhat (WIF) meme coin—and the owners of the real-life South Korean Shiba Inu that inspired the token may have disrupted this idyllic pet paradise.

An Instagram user from South Korea revealed on Thursday that their Shiba Inu, named Achi, is the dog featured in the "Dogwifhat" meme. They announced plans to auction an NFT of the original, iconic photo of Achi sporting a woven beanie, which they claimed to have knitted for the dog.

This user has consistently shared photos of their Shiba Inu wearing various woven outfits for the past five years, starting from when the dog was a puppy. They also posted the famous "Dogwifhat" photo in December 2018—nearly a year before it gained viral fame. Partners of the Achi NFT auction confirmed that the user is indeed Achi's genuine owner.

However, upon the announcement of the NFT photo auction, some members of the WIF community and other Solana users expressed discontent that Achi's owners had chosen to collaborate with Feisty DAO—a community with prior experience in purchasing and fractionalizing Shiba Inu-related NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain.

The upcoming Achi NFT will be minted as an Ethereum NFT and is currently available for auction on the Ethereum NFT platform Foundation. As of now, the highest bid stands at 50 ETH, equivalent to over $182,000.

Concerns regarding the NFT release—many of which urged Achi's owners to collaborate with the WIF team on Solana instead—escalated to the point where the pet owners publicly requested an end to the criticism.

📈 @NFDtoken raises Achi to 50 ETH pic.twitter.com/yV6kdTzvws

— Foundation 🌐 (@foundation) March 15, 2024

"Please refrain from insulting [Achi] and us," the owners stated in a pinned comment on the Instagram post. "You have no grounds to blame us. Please show your support instead."

However, it seems that Achi's owners had previously attempted to collaborate with Solana users—with unfavorable outcomes. A meme coin called ACHI emerged following the success of WIF but reportedly rug-pulled the project shortly after its launch, despite receiving support from Achi's parents.

Following this negative experience, Achi's owners opted to partner with Feisty DAO, which had successfully executed several NFT sales in the past, as stated by Path, a Feisty DAO member and the organizer of the Achi NFT auction.

Decrypt attempted to contact Achi's owners via Instagram but did not receive an immediate response.

While some members of the WIF community expressed frustration that Achi's owners did not coordinate their NFT launch with the meme coin community, it appears that little effort has been made by the community to reach out to the dog's family, whose image propelled their token to a multi-billion dollar valuation.

WIF was launched in December, and until a few weeks ago, Achi's owners reportedly had no communication from anyone in the WIF community and were endeavoring to establish contact.

hi im owner of this dog. Can you contact me?

— achichu (@achichuchu) February 4, 2024

Mihir, a member of the WIF community who coordinated a fundraising effort of nearly $700,000 to showcase Achi's image on Sphere, the colossal LED screen-covered arena in Las Vegas, informed Decrypt that he only became aware of Achi's owners last week. Nonetheless, he believes that they deserve recognition for their contribution to WIF's success.

As of now, WIF's market capitalization exceeds $3 billion, while Achi's parents' NFT of the original photo—upon which WIF is based—has a current bid of approximately $182,000.

Path, the Feisty DAO member organizing the NFT photo auction, expressed willingness to consider minting the NFT on Solana if there is interest from the Solana community. Path mentioned reaching out to Ansem, a prominent WIF community member, regarding the Achi NFT purchase, but received no interest. Path has not received communication from anyone else associated with WIF.