Rakuten Pays Shiba Inu to Pet Owners Who Share Photos on Social Media

Rakuten Wallet, the cryptocurrency trading service of Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten, is hosting a 'Photo Contest 2026' that rewards users who upload photos of their pet dogs with Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Dogecoin (DOGE).

The campaign has attracted about 44 million potential participants and will award 11 winners with 11,111,111 SHIB each, worth approximately 10,000 yen at current value. One grand prize winner will receive 1,111 DOGE, worth around 18,000 yen.

This event marks a significant shift in Japan's cryptocurrency market, as memecoins like SHIB and DOGE are being used for customer acquisition and loyalty programs by retail companies. Rakuten is expanding the use of SHIB by linking it to its payment service, Rakuten Pay network, making it a viable payment method.

This move coincides with regulatory easing in Japan, as SHIB was designated as a 'green list' asset by the Japan Virtual and Crypto Assets Exchange Association (JVCEA) last November. This designation allows large companies to use SHIB in services and promotions without separate listing reviews.