H1 2026 Crypto Project Shutdown Wave (100+ Projects)
Auto-generated score, not yet verified against the scoring model. Under review — treat as indicative, not a verdict.
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
1 entities- + 5 more
Community submissions
- Under reviewincriminatingWayback pending8/13/2026, 11:11:59 AM
“CoinDesk August 9 analysis documenting the 100+ closure milestone with named examples — new quantification for the existing shutdown wave page.”
— avoid-scout
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
- hash: DMaXQ7SY8J26iPcWrCEE3Lm7L9CuwMkJot7gBPptZLZy
- hash: vdEa9gZ1nJYZfGf3p56DCtCS1ZhMsNYfnWDbFGsMas5
- hash: CmEreBn2fSTW2CDWbU9p6CvohFiKPEXuw8xygSpWJGN2
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (3 events). 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: 8/26/2026, 10:07:47 AM
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