SpaceX’s Mascot Shiba Dog Adds $50 Million to a Parody Token

A Shiba Inu plush toy on SpaceX’s online store has sent a parody crypto token or meme coin into another sharp rally.

Asteroid Shiba, an Ethereum-based meme coin built around the “Asteroid” plush from SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, jumped more than 137% over the past week, according to CoinGecko. 

Its market value briefly climbed from roughly $22 million at its weekly low to about $86 million at the peak, before cooling to around $60 million.

That means the token briefly added more than $60 million in paper value during the move. Even after the pullback, it remains far above where it traded before the latest wave of SpaceX-linked attention.

A Plush Toy Becomes a Trade

The trigger was simple. SpaceX listed a $35 “SPACEX ASTEROID PLUSH” on its store, marked “coming soon,” with the company saying it expects Asteroid to “land” in September.

The store page describes Asteroid as a Shiba with “the fluffiest of ears” and says it was designed by “Liv P,” an honorary member of the Polaris Dawn team.

Crypto traders read that as fresh fuel for a story that had already gone viral once.

Asteroid was not created as a crypto mascot. It began as a real plush toy designed by Liv Perrotto, a young cancer patient and space fan who became connected to the Polaris Dawn crew through St. Jude-linked spaceflight efforts.

The plush flew on the Polaris Dawn mission in September 2024 as the crew’s zero-gravity indicator. That is the small object astronauts use to show when they have reached microgravity.

The Emotional Origin Story

Liv said Asteroid was inspired by Elon Musk’s Shiba Inu, Floki. She wanted the toy to help other children believe that space was not impossibly far away.

Before her death in January, Liv reportedly left Musk a list of questions. The last question asked whether Asteroid could become SpaceX’s official mascot. Musk later replied publicly, and that response helped turn the toy into a full crypto narrative.

In April, ASTEROID exploded after Musk’s reply. CoinDesk reported that one anonymous wallet turned a $575 trade into about $1.17 million in five days during that first run.

The latest rally is the sequel. This time, the catalyst was not just a social media reply. It was a SpaceX store listing.

The Line Traders Keep Blurring

The key detail is the distinction between the plush and the token. SpaceX is selling the Asteroid plush. It is not selling, endorsing, or backing the ASTEROID token.

The token has no formal ties to SpaceX, St. Jude, Musk, or Liv’s family, and no verified mechanism directing token proceeds to charity.

That has not stopped the market. ASTEROID now trades as a pure narrative asset: part SpaceX lore, part Shiba meme, part emotional internet story.

That combination has been enough to add tens of millions of dollars in market value within days. It also means the same attention that lifted it can disappear quickly.

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