{"investigation":{"slug":"mint-blockchain","entity_name":"Mint Blockchain","trust_score":38,"severity_base":null,"score_modifier":0,"confidence":0.82,"status":"published","content_type":"investigation","summary":"Mint Blockchain was an NFT-focused Ethereum Layer 2 network built on the OP Stack and jointly developed by NFTScan Labs and the MintCore developer team. The network ceased all operations on April 17, 2026, and users have until October 20, 2026 to withdraw ETH, WBTC, USDC, and USDT to Ethereum mainnet via the official portal at mintchain.io/withdraw. Assets not withdrawn before this hard deadline will be permanently unrecoverable; due to weekly batch settlement delays of up to 10 days, the practical last-safe submission date is approximately October 10, 2026.","sections":[{"content":"Mint Blockchain officially ceased all operations on April 17, 2026. The project maintains a single active function: a withdrawal portal at mintchain.io/withdraw that allows users to bridge assets back to Ethereum mainnet. This portal closes permanently on October 20, 2026. According to the official team announcement, 'if users do not complete the extraction before the deadline, the related assets will no longer be processed or recoverable.' There is no indication of any rescue mechanism, third-party custodian, or appeals process after the deadline passes.\n\nCritically, withdrawals on Mint Blockchain do not settle instantly. The portal processes withdrawals in weekly batches, and each batch can take up to 10 days to finalize on Ethereum mainnet — a combined timeline attributable to the OP Stack challenge period (minimum 3 days, 12 hours for state root settlement) plus the seven-day finalization window before funds become claimable on Layer 1. A withdrawal request submitted on or after approximately October 11, 2026 may not complete before the portal closes on October 20. Cryptoticker reporting identifies October 10, 2026 as the practical last-safe submission date.\n\nFour assets are eligible for withdrawal: ETH, WBTC (Wrapped Bitcoin), USDC, and USDT. NFTs, despite Mint Blockchain having been purpose-built for the NFT sector, are reported by Cryptoticker as not supported through the withdrawal portal. Users holding NFTs on Mint Blockchain should verify directly with the official team whether any separate recovery path exists.","heading":"CRITICAL: Imminent Withdrawal Deadline — Funds at Permanent Risk","sources":[{"url":"https://www.kucoin.com/news/flash/nft-public-chain-mint-blockchain-announces-cease-of-operations-users-must-withdraw-assets-by-october-20","name":"KuCoin News: NFT Public Chain Mint Blockchain Announces Cessation of Operations; Users Must Withdraw Assets by October 20","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://cryptoticker.io/en/mintchain-withdraw-balance-deadline/","name":"Cryptoticker: Mint Chain — withdraw your balance by October 10","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560605370981","name":"Bitget News: Mint Blockchain Announces Cessation of Operations","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"Mint Blockchain launched its mainnet on May 14, 2024. It was built on the OP Stack — the same framework underlying Optimism and Base — and was a member of the OP Superchain. The project was jointly developed by NFTScan Labs (the team behind the NFTScan NFT data platform) and MintCore, the core development organization organized under the Mint Foundation. Its stated mission was to provide dedicated layer 2 infrastructure for NFT asset issuance, trading, indexing, and storage, reducing gas fees and improving throughput for Ethereum-based NFT applications.\n\nIn May 2024, the project raised $5 million in a seed funding round. Investors included Jsquare, SNZ Capital, Antalpha Ventures, Mask Network, BlockAI Ventures, Predator Capital, GoPlus, Whitelist Ventures, and PANONY Group, alongside individual investors including the founders of Smart Token Labs and GoPlus.\n\nThe network operated for approximately two years. At the time of shutdown, L2BEAT recorded Mint Blockchain's Total Value Secured at approximately $42,110, indicating minimal remaining user deposits. The project's active TVL at shutdown was effectively zero.\n\nNo official explanation for the shutdown has been published by the MintCore team. Industry observers have cited difficult market conditions for vertically specialized Layer 2 projects, including reduced NFT trading volumes and the challenge of transitioning from venture funding to self-sustaining fee revenue. These characterizations reflect analyst commentary rather than official team statements.","heading":"Background: Project History and Shutdown","sources":[{"url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mint-blockchain-completes-5-million-seed-round-and-launches-on-developer-mainnet-302157888.html","name":"PRNewswire: Mint Blockchain Completes $5 Million Seed Round and Launches on Developer Mainnet","type":"news_article","credibility":1},{"url":"https://l2beat.com/layer2s/projects/mint","name":"L2BEAT: Mint Project Page","type":"research","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.chaincatcher.com/en/article/2259219","name":"ChainCatcher: Mint Blockchain Cessation of Operations Announcement","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"medium"},{"content":"Mint Blockchain operated as an OP Stack rollup on Ethereum (Chain ID: 185), using op-geth as its execution layer and op-node for consensus. Data compression used zlib at maximum compression level. The network was EVM-equivalent.\n\nPrior to shutdown, L2BEAT rated Mint Blockchain below Stage 0 on its decentralization scale and identified several structural risks that were never resolved during the project's operational life:\n\n- Code upgrade risk: Smart contracts could receive malicious code upgrades with no delay on implementation, meaning the operator could theoretically drain the bridge at any time with no user exit window.\n- Centralized sequencer: A single sequencer controlled transaction ordering, enabling potential MEV extraction.\n- Invalid state roots: No whitelisted challenger was capable of disputing invalid state root submissions, meaning fraudulent state transitions could be confirmed.\n- Proposer dependency: If the proposer failed, withdrawals would freeze.\n\nThese risks are noted for historical context. With the network now in withdrawal-only mode and the team facilitating an orderly wind-down, no active exploit has been reported during the shutdown period. However, the absence of an exit window during the network's operational life was a systemic risk that L2BEAT flagged and that users should be aware of when evaluating similar projects in the future.","heading":"Technical Architecture and Pre-Shutdown Risk Profile","sources":[{"url":"https://l2beat.com/layer2s/projects/mint","name":"L2BEAT: Mint Project Risk Ratings","type":"research","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"Users with assets on Mint Blockchain should follow these steps, as documented by Cryptoticker and consistent with multiple exchange announcements:\n\n1. Navigate to the official withdrawal portal at mintchain.io/withdraw. Verify the domain is exactly 'mintchain.io' — do not use any other domain or link shared via social media or messaging applications.\n2. Connect a self-custody wallet (e.g., MetaMask) that holds the assets on Mint Blockchain. Do not send funds to an exchange deposit address, as many exchanges do not auto-credit bridge settlements.\n3. Initiate the withdrawal for any or all of the four supported assets: ETH, WBTC, USDC, USDT.\n4. Submit the withdrawal transaction on the Mint Blockchain L2 side.\n5. Wait for the weekly batch to be submitted on Ethereum mainnet and for the challenge period to complete (minimum approximately 3 days 12 hours, up to 7 days for finalization).\n6. Once the challenge period expires, return to the portal to claim the funds on Ethereum mainnet by submitting a Merkle proof transaction.\n\nThe entire process from initiation to claimable funds on Ethereum mainnet can take up to 10 days. Given the October 20, 2026 portal closure, users are advised to submit withdrawal requests no later than October 10, 2026 to allow a full processing cycle.","heading":"Withdrawal Process: Step-by-Step Guidance","sources":[{"url":"https://cryptoticker.io/en/mintchain-withdraw-balance-deadline/","name":"Cryptoticker: Mint Chain — withdraw your balance by October 10","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://l2beat.com/layer2s/projects/mint","name":"L2BEAT: Mint Project Page — Withdrawal Mechanism","type":"research","credibility":2}],"severity":"critical"},{"content":"A separate and active threat: prior to Mint Blockchain's shutdown, security researchers at PCRisk identified fraudulent websites impersonating the Mint platform and targeting its users. Known fake domains include claim-mintchain[.]com and mintchoin[.]xyz. These sites present as Mint platform services and prompt users to 'connect' their wallets, activating cryptocurrency drainer scripts that transfer assets to attacker-controlled addresses.\n\nPCRisk first documented this scam in May 2024, with a later update in October 2024. The scam is distributed via malvertising, social media spam (often from compromised accounts), typosquatting, and rogue advertising networks. Transactions initiated by these drainers are described by PCRisk as 'practically untraceable' and 'cannot be reversed.'\n\nWith the legitimate withdrawal deadline approaching in October 2026, the risk of impersonation attacks targeting users seeking to withdraw their funds is elevated. Users should verify that any withdrawal portal they use is reached by navigating directly to mintchain.io in a browser, not via any link shared by a third party.","heading":"Phishing and Impersonation Risk","sources":[{"url":"https://www.pcrisk.com/removal-guides/30049-mint-blockchain-wallet-connect-scam","name":"PCRisk: Mint Blockchain Wallet Connect Scam — Removal and Recovery Guide","type":"community_report","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"Several cryptocurrency exchanges, including KuCoin, MEXC, and Bitget, published announcements relaying Mint Blockchain's cessation-of-operations notice. Users who hold assets on centralized exchanges that may have been bridged to Mint Blockchain should contact their exchange directly to determine whether the exchange has already migrated those assets on behalf of users or whether manual action is required. Exchange custodial arrangements vary, and users should not assume that exchange-held assets have automatically been bridged back to Ethereum mainnet.","heading":"Exchange and Custodial Wallet Holders","sources":[{"url":"https://www.kucoin.com/news/flash/mint-blockchain-ceases-operations-users-urged-to-withdraw-assets-by-october-20","name":"KuCoin: Mint Blockchain Ceases Operations; Users Urged to Withdraw Assets by October 20","type":"news_article","credibility":2},{"url":"https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560605370981","name":"Bitget: Mint Blockchain Cessation Announcement","type":"news_article","credibility":2}],"severity":"high"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2023-10","event":"Mint Blockchain development begins, initiated by NFTScan Labs and the MintCore developer team.","source":"Bitget: What is Mint Blockchain","source_url":"https://www.bitget.com/price/mint-blockchain/what-is"},{"date":"2024-05-14","event":"Mint Blockchain mainnet launches on Ethereum as an OP Stack Layer 2 network purpose-built for NFT applications.","source":"L2BEAT: Mint Project Page","source_url":"https://l2beat.com/layer2s/projects/mint"},{"date":"2024-05-30","event":"Mint Blockchain announces completion of a $5 million seed funding round. Investors include Jsquare, SNZ Capital, Antalpha Ventures, Mask Network, and others.","source":"PRNewswire: Mint Blockchain Completes $5 Million Seed Round","source_url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mint-blockchain-completes-5-million-seed-round-and-launches-on-developer-mainnet-302157888.html"},{"date":"2024-05-26","event":"PCRisk first documents phishing sites (claim-mintchain[.]com, mintchoin[.]xyz) impersonating Mint Blockchain and deploying wallet-drainer scripts against users.","source":"PCRisk: Mint Blockchain Wallet Connect Scam","source_url":"https://www.pcrisk.com/removal-guides/30049-mint-blockchain-wallet-connect-scam"},{"date":"2026-04-17","event":"Mint Blockchain officially ceases all operations. The network enters withdrawal-only mode. No new applications or transactions are accepted. The MintCore team directs users to withdraw ETH, WBTC, USDC, and USDT to Ethereum mainnet before October 20, 2026.","source":"KuCoin News: Mint Blockchain Cessation Announcement","source_url":"https://www.kucoin.com/news/flash/nft-public-chain-mint-blockchain-announces-cease-of-operations-users-must-withdraw-assets-by-october-20"},{"date":"2026-10-10","event":"Practical last-safe date to submit a withdrawal request via mintchain.io/withdraw. Requests submitted after this date risk missing the October 20 deadline due to the up-to-10-day batch settlement window.","source":"Cryptoticker: Mint Chain — withdraw your balance by October 10","source_url":"https://cryptoticker.io/en/mintchain-withdraw-balance-deadline/"},{"date":"2026-10-20","event":"Official closure of the Mint Blockchain withdrawal portal. Any assets not withdrawn to Ethereum mainnet by this date will be permanently unrecoverable according to the project team's announcement.","source":"KuCoin News: Mint Blockchain Cessation Announcement","source_url":"https://www.kucoin.com/news/flash/nft-public-chain-mint-blockchain-announces-cease-of-operations-users-must-withdraw-assets-by-october-20"}],"sources_used":[{"url":"https://www.kucoin.com/news/flash/nft-public-chain-mint-blockchain-announces-cease-of-operations-users-must-withdraw-assets-by-october-20","name":"KuCoin News: NFT Public Chain Mint Blockchain Announces Cessation of Operations","type":"news_article","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261001162847/https://www.kucoin.com/news/flash/nft-public-chain-mint-blockchain-announces-cease-of-operations-users-must-withdraw-assets-by-october-20","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-10-01T16:28:47+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.kucoin.com/news/flash/mint-blockchain-ceases-operations-users-urged-to-withdraw-assets-by-october-20","name":"KuCoin News: Mint Blockchain Ceases Operations; Users Urged to Withdraw Assets by October 20","type":"news_article","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261002032751/https://www.kucoin.com/news/flash/mint-blockchain-ceases-operations-users-urged-to-withdraw-assets-by-october-20","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-10-02T03:27:51+00:00"},{"url":"https://cryptoticker.io/en/mintchain-withdraw-balance-deadline/","name":"Cryptoticker: Mint Chain — withdraw your balance by October 10","type":"news_article","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261001205319/https://cryptoticker.io/en/mintchain-withdraw-balance-deadline/","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-10-01T20:53:19+00:00"},{"url":"https://l2beat.com/layer2s/projects/mint","name":"L2BEAT: Mint Project Page","type":"research","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261001205503/https://l2beat.com/layer2s/projects/mint","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-10-01T20:55:03+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mint-blockchain-completes-5-million-seed-round-and-launches-on-developer-mainnet-302157888.html","name":"PRNewswire: Mint Blockchain Completes $5 Million Seed Round and Launches on Developer Mainnet","type":"news_article","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261002032844/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mint-blockchain-completes-5-million-seed-round-and-launches-on-developer-mainnet-302157888.html","credibility":1,"archive_timestamp":"2026-10-02T03:28:44+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.pcrisk.com/removal-guides/30049-mint-blockchain-wallet-connect-scam","name":"PCRisk: Mint Blockchain Wallet Connect Scam","type":"community_report","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260411205529/https://www.pcrisk.com/removal-guides/30049-mint-blockchain-wallet-connect-scam","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-04-11T20:55:29+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.chaincatcher.com/en/article/2259219","name":"ChainCatcher: Mint Blockchain Cessation Announcement","type":"news_article","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261001183919/https://www.chaincatcher.com/en/article/2259219","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-10-01T18:39:19+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560605370981","name":"Bitget News: Mint Blockchain Announces Cessation of Operations","type":"news_article","archive_url":"https://web.archive.org/web/20261001205811/https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560605370981","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-10-01T20:58:11+00:00"},{"url":"https://cryptonews.net/news/blockchain/32721648/","name":"Cryptonews.net: Mint Blockchain Shutdown — Critical Withdrawal Window","type":"news_article","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260611062819/https://cryptonews.net/news/blockchain/32721648/","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-06-11T06:28:19+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.livebitcoinnews.com/mint-blockchain-shuts-down-users-face-october-20-withdrawal-deadline/","name":"LiveBitcoinNews: Mint Blockchain Shuts Down — Users Face October 20 Withdrawal Deadline","type":"news_article","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260418070816/https://www.livebitcoinnews.com/mint-blockchain-shuts-down-users-face-october-20-withdrawal-deadline","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-04-18T07:08:16+00:00"},{"url":"https://www.panewslab.com/en/articles/019d997e-5857-701b-acc6-833d7228678d","name":"PANews: Mint Blockchain Cessation — Users Must Withdraw by October 20","type":"news_article","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260612084142/https://www.panewslab.com/en/articles/019d997e-5857-701b-acc6-833d7228678d","credibility":2,"archive_timestamp":"2026-06-12T08:41:42+00:00"}],"source_tags":[],"addresses":[],"reviewed":false,"reviewed_by":null,"model_used":"claude-sonnet-4-6","created_at":"2026-10-01T12:16:19.339132+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-02T03:30:05.051576+00:00"},"source_quality":{"total":11,"tier1":0,"tier2":0,"tier3":0,"unrated":11}}