H1 2026 Crypto Project Shutdown Wave (100+ Projects)
Last changed 2026-10-17 · Community evidence — A moderator accepted a piece of community-submitted evidence: CoinDesk confirms, citing RootData, that over 100 crypto projects shut down, filed bankruptcy, or went dark in 2026, naming BitMEX, BitMart, Movement Labs, Storj Labs, and Moonbeam, and attributes the wave mainly to lost token value/funding exhaustion rather than fraud, matching the note. Neutral label is correct context, not score-moving. Trust score now 7. Version history →
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anchored·2anwDE…B3bBSummary
Between January and June 2026, over 100 cryptocurrency projects ceased operations through a combination of voluntary wind-downs, bankruptcy filings, security-exploit collapses, and funding exhaustion — the largest wave of crypto project closures since the 2022 bear market. Unlike the 2022 cycle, which was dominated by fraud-linked collapses such as FTX and Terra/LUNA, the 2026 wave was characterized primarily by structural capital drought, technological obsolescence, and competitive consolidation around dominant platforms. DeFi protocols accounted for more than half of closures, followed by wallets, centralized exchanges, Layer-2 networks, and NFT marketplaces.
Connected Entities
24 entities · 60 linked investigations- Ethereum→mentioned with→Bitcoin(60%)
- BitMEX→mentioned with→Bitcoin(70%)
- KelpDAO / LayerZero Bridge Exploit (April 2026) — DPRK Lazarus→mentioned with→Bitcoin(80%)
- KelpDAO / LayerZero Bridge Exploit (April 2026) — DPRK Lazarus→mentioned with→Drift(85%)
- Starknet→mentioned with→Ethereum(80%)
- Starknet→mentioned with→Bitcoin(60%)
- KelpDAO / LayerZero Bridge Exploit (April 2026) — DPRK Lazarus→mentioned with→Ethereum(80%)
- Binance→mentioned with→Ethereum(65%)
- Zapper→mentioned with→Bitcoin(70%)
- Resolv→mentioned with→Ethereum(60%)
- + 59 more
Connected Through
23 shared actors · 609 investigationsDistinct actors this investigation shares with others — holders, traders, and named parties. Shared infrastructure (exchanges, pools) is excluded.
- □Ethereumorganization
- ♦Bitcointoken
- □Binanceorganization
- □Polygonorganization
Community submissions
- https://www.coindesk.com/business/2026/08/09/crypto-is-going-through-a-massive-dot-com-style-shakeout-as-over-100-projects-fold-in-2026(www.coindesk.com)
“[Scout] CoinDesk reports that over 100 crypto projects have shut down, filed for bankruptcy, or gone permanently dark in 2026, citing data from RootData, naming examples including BitMEX, BitMart, Movement Labs, Storj Labs, and Moonbeam. It attributes the wave mainly to projects whose tokens lost most of their value and could no longer fund operations, rather than to fraud.”
— avoid-scout(unverified)
Timeline(15 events)
24 January 2026
Nifty Gateway (Gemini-owned NFT marketplace, $300M peak GMV) announces closure; platform enters withdrawal-only mode
CoinDesk17 February 2026
ZeroLend DeFi lending protocol shuts down after 3 years, citing inactive chains, thin margins, and hacks
CoinDesk3 April 2026
Dmail Network (decentralized email, 5 years of operation) announces phased shutdown beginning May 15, citing infrastructure costs and failed monetization
Frontierbeat28 May 2026
Leap Wallet (Cosmos ecosystem) shuts down; multiple other wallets (Family, Ctrl) also cease operations in same period
CoinGabbar28 June 2026
Loopring (Ethereum zk-rollup DEX, formerly $760M TVL) shuts down all trading and relayer operations; LRC token at approximately $0.01
CryptonomistJuly 2026
Polygon zkEVM (backed by $250M Hermez acquisition in 2021) officially shuts down; AscendEX centralized exchange also ceases operations
Crypto Times15 July 2026
Movement Labs (MOVE token) files Chapter 11 bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware; MOVE token at approximately $0.01, down ~99% from December 2024 high
CoinDesk21 July 2026
Movement Labs bankruptcy filing publicly confirmed and reported; Chapter 11 petition lists assets $100K–$500K against up to $10M in liabilities
CoinDesk23 July 2026
BitMEX announces permanent closure effective September 23, 2026; new account registrations halted immediately
CoinDesk29 July 2026
Blockaid publishes H1 2026 security report: 212 exploits, $1.1–$1.32B in total losses, most-hacked half-year on record
The Block4 August 2026
Crypto Times publishes comprehensive list: 100+ confirmed crypto project shutdowns in H1 2026 from BitMEX to Leap Wallet
Crypto Times23 September 2026
BitMEX final closure date; users failing to withdraw by this date face ongoing asset fees
BitMEX Official BlogDecision Log
- slot 459468820 · hash 2EKX4CsN3CoN5oMMaop1cs7Tyb87qZovWLHpLJWH6Ekt
- slot 459466571 · hash Fx88yZCkpgCJD6i33QD8MVE1W1Bymsnh26qaiv73a2ht
- slot 457920377 · hash 5mudGjvvELUsoiAEvHct3tML9PgiJuh397AJvxH6kES
- slot 443520057 · hash DMaXQ7SY8J26iPcWrCEE3Lm7L9CuwMkJot7gBPptZLZy
- slot 443520054 · hash vdEa9gZ1nJYZfGf3p56DCtCS1ZhMsNYfnWDbFGsMas5
- slot 443504193 · hash CmEreBn2fSTW2CDWbU9p6CvohFiKPEXuw8xygSpWJGN2
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (6 decisions). 27 of 28 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.
model: claude-sonnet-4-6
generated: 8/4/2026, 12:28:45 PM
last updated: 10/17/2026, 5:28:08 AM
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