Shiba Inu saw one of its biggest 2026 price performances this week after it registered a daily price surge of over 35%, drawing attention from market analysts. The meme coin's layer-2 network Shibarium experienced a 95% drop in decentralized finance activity, raising questions about the sustainability of its ecosystem. The sharp decline in DeFi engagement contrasts with the token's recent price rally, which was among its most significant single-day gains of the year. Analysts are examining whether the divergence signals speculative trading detached from underlying network usage.