K9 Finance DAO has clarified why affiliate verification badges appear from multiple accounts within the Shiba Inu (SHIB) ecosystem
K9 Finance links badge removal to @Shibtoken subscription decision. K9 Finance previously expressed concerns concerning the Shiba Inu bridge exploit
Source: X
The statement followed confusion after several accounts linked to SHIB lost their affiliate badges, including K9 Finance, Bad Idea AI, Shibarium, Shib: The Metaverse and Lead Developer Kaal Dhairya. The timing has fueled speculation attributable to recent tensions surrounding shibarium.
Community members first reported the problem after affiliate badges disappeared from several widely used profiles within the Shiba Inu ecosystem. The badges had previously linked these accounts to @shibtoken through X's affiliate verification system.
Since users have long viewed @shibtoken because the ecosystem's primary X-handle, many interpret the distances as a signal of fixing relationships.
K9 Finance links badge removal to @Shibtoken subscription decision
In a press release to X, K9 Finance said the @shibtoken Business subscription, a paid verification product, controls affiliate badges. As a part of the subscription, X mechanically prolonged affiliate verification to connected ecosystem projects and team members.
K9 said it discontinued the subscription after reviewing recurring costs and operational priorities. As a result, X removed affiliate verification from all linked accounts directly.
The project said it discussed the problem directly with Shiba Inu leadership and the @shibtoken account, which confirmed the choice and applied it across the ecosystem.
K9 emphasized that the removal of the badge doesn’t reflect changes in partnerships or long-term commitments. The project said it didn’t single out any individual account or ecosystem partner.
The Shiba Inu ecosystem doesn’t maintain a formally named Official X Account, a structure that has previously led users to view @shibtoken activity as informal support.
K9 Finance previously expressed concerns concerning the Shiba Inu bridge exploit
K9 issued the clarification just a few days after announcing that it would reconsider its relationship with Shibarium if users affected by the September 12 Shibarium Bridge exploit don’t receive full compensation.
Holders of K9's KNINE token were amongst those affected by the incident. K9 later said it offered the attackers a bounty of 20 ETH to get well funds, however the attackers rejected the proposal. The project also said communication from the Shiba Inu regarding recovery efforts has ceased.
K9 said it plans to carry a community vote on its future relationship with Shibarium if the compensation stays unresolved by January 6, 2026. The team emphasized that the removal of the verification badge was independent of this dispute.
Based on community feedback, the @shibtoken account confirmed that its gold verification checkmark was restored without affiliate links. The report reiterated that its focus stays on SHIB and the ShibArmy.
Source: X
K9 Finance has since secured a standalone verification badge. At the time of publication, several other affected ecosystem projects haven’t yet received independent verification and no timeline has been provided for the return of affiliate badges.
