So far, Shiba Inu (SHIB) remains the only crypto that has evolved from yet another meme coin into a global ecosystem backed by a passionate audience. Within this ecosystem, new-gen projects are addressing the most impressive use cases of Web3.

LTDToken (LTD), a decentralized advertising platform, is a perfect example of this trend. Today, U.Today sat down with an internet personality who goes by Shib Dream on X. 

Shib Dream is one of the loudest voices in the SHIB community and is a founder of LTDToken (LTD). The answers of Shib Dream were shared by LTD Token (LTD) team members.

U.Today: Hey, thanks for talking to us! Please tell us a little bit about your background in tech and crypto, and, if possible, what the “Shib Dream” nickname means to you? And where does it come from?

Shib Dream: I’ve been involved in Internet marketing and SEO for over 20 years, starting my first advertising campaigns back in 1999. I first got involved in crypto with DOGE, but the crypto space became my main focus when I read the Ryoshi Vision and joined the Shib Army. The nickname “Shib Dream” is about embodying the vision and dream of everyone in the Shib Army, which to me is about community-driven growth where all can succeed and grow.

U.T.: How did you first meet Shiba Inu, SHIB, Shibarium and so on? What made you stay in the ecosystem?

S.D.: I first encountered SHIB, as I mentioned, by reading the vision that was sent to me by a friend. I came in for the crypto investment, but the energy and passion of the Shiba community hooked me. What made me stay was my Shib Army family, Ryoshi’s vision, and how SHIB has always been more than just a meme. When Shibarium, the L2 solution, came along, it opened new doors for innovation. It’s that blend of a strong community and tech advancement that kept me committed to the ecosystem.

U.T.: Could you please share the story behind LTDToken? What was your main motivation to start it? 

S.D.: LTD Token, which stands for “Living The Dream,” came from a desire to create a utility-driven project within a meme-rich ecosystem. Because of my background, I was able to see what was lacking in crypto. There was a need for a decentralized ad platform that could bridge Web2 and Web3. My main motivation was to build something long-lasting that could empower creators, businesses, and communities through decentralized advertising. We’re trying to show that utility projects can thrive in this space, and advertising is the way to do it.

U.T.: Indicate five of the most dangerous bottlenecks for the advertising business in Web2 that you are trying to address with LTDToken.

S.D.:  Yes, let’s indicate some of them.

First, it’s centralization. Too few platforms control the majority of ad revenue, which limits competition and innovation. This also hinders dreamers from reaching their goals. Everyone can benefit from revenue generation through an advertising platform, while at the same time, more options are needed for advertisers in the space.

Then, unfortunately, crypto lacks transparency. Many times, advertisers can’t track the ROI of their ad spend because they cannot even see where their ads are being delivered. By having visibility into which media platform they are advertising on, they can see the results.

Ad frauds issues remain dangerous in 2024. There’s a huge issue with fake clicks and bots draining advertiser budgets. Socials are the worst, where people think they are getting massive hits, but instead, it is paid bot programs faking the algorithm. This existed in Web2, but not nearly as extreme as I’ve seen in crypto.

Fees in our segment are really high sometimes. Middlemen eat up a lot of profit margins for both advertisers and publishers. Google recognized this in the early days of AdWords and AdSense and set their rates at a 65/35 split on revenue. We want our publishers to have more, which is why we are giving 80% of ad sales to publishers who use our network.

Last but not the least, tracking issues are dangerous for end users. They are increasingly concerned about how their data is being used without their consent. We will only display the publisher's platform after we verify the publisher. Personal information should be private, and both publishers and advertisers should feel safe.

U.T.: Why did you choose to leverage the SHIB audience for LTDToken's progress? What is the role of the SHIB Army in its growth?

S.D.: I am Shib Army at my core. The Shib ecosystem has become like a second family to me, as I am very close with almost every community in the Shib Army. Leveraging this audience made perfect sense because the SHIB community understands the importance of decentralized efforts, and they support new ideas and want to see people grow. They’ve been instrumental in the early success of LTD Token, particularly during the presale and early development phases. The SHIB Army are participants who actively engage with and support projects they believe in.

U.T.: Introduce your colleagues to the U.Today audience. Why do they only use nicknames? Are they Web3 natives or not?

S.D.: The LTD team is a blend of Web3 natives and people transitioning from Web2, which gives us a unique mix of skills and perspectives. We see that many names in crypto are chosen based on these skills. One thing I realized since entering this space is that it’s more about what you contribute rather than who you are behind the name.

U.T.: Tell us a bit about your product's token. What role does it play in the platform?

S.D.: The LTD token is the fuel for our project. It’s used for transactions within the platform, whether it’s buying ad space, staking, or earning rewards. It also plays a key role in governance, giving the community a voice in the future development of the platform. Essentially, it’s a utility token with real-world use cases, particularly within the digital advertising ecosystem we’re building.

U.T.: What is special about LTD's tokenomics?

S.D.: LTD’s tokenomics are built around sustainability and community growth. We have deflationary mechanics, such as regular token burns to reduce supply. In the first two weeks, we reduced the supply by 1%. Ideally, we would like to see the token reduced by 25% within the first year, based on community interaction and burn initiatives. Additionally, staking and rewards incentivize active participation. A portion of the ad revenue generated on the platform is redistributed to token holders, creating a circular economy. It’s designed to benefit both long-term holders and active users.

U.T.: What are the main accomplishments of LTDToken you are most proud of as of Q4, 2024?

S.D.: As of Q4 2024, I’m proud of how quickly we’ve gained traction, including the fact that our presale sold out in minutes. We’ve already burned over 1% of the total supply, and we’ve partnered with nearly every Shib Partner and Shib Army project. Included in this are projects such as Welly Friends, Bad Idea AI, Knine Finance, Sharbi, and Hoichi to name just a few.  Another major accomplishment is securing pre-product revenue commitments from digital advertisers even before fully launching our platform.

U.T.: What are some key points of your 2024-2025 roadmap? Is your activity somehow correlated to that of the SHIB ecosystem?

S.D.: In 2024-2025, we’re focused on expanding the LTD platform to support a broader range of ad formats, including interactive and IRL ads. We’re also working on rolling out cross-chain staking this week which will reward holders with both K9 Finance and Shiba Inu. Our governance features will also be implemented in the near future. Our activity is not fully correlated with the SHIB ecosystem, but we will continue building partnerships with SHIB-related communities. We are dedicated to where our roots are. To date, between the LTD project and the Shib Dream NFT collection, we have burned over 1.6 billion Shiba Inu tokens to show our support. We also have the Shiba Builders fund, which will offer Shib community builders funds to start their own dreams.

U.T.: What is your main goal for the next bull run?

S.D.: Our main goal for the next bull run is to solidify LTD Token as the go-to decentralized ad platform for both Web2 and Web3 businesses. We want to establish ourselves as a leader in the space, driving adoption through utility and innovation, while continuing to burn tokens and reward our community for their contributions.