Skip to main content
AVOID.NET
Sign in

H1 2026 Crypto Project Shutdown Wave (100+ Projects)

avoid.net/h1-2026-crypto-project-shutdown-wave-100-projects→7/100·82% conf.
[AI-DRAFTED · AWAITING VERIFICATION]

Auto-generated score, not yet verified against the scoring model. Under review — treat as indicative, not a verdict.

anchored·2anwDE…B3bB

Summary

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
Organizations
□Starknet62□Polygon54□Loopring□H1 2026 Crypto Project Shutdown Wave (100+ Projects)□Cosmos (ATOM)□Ethereum□Three Arrows Capital□Drift□KelpDAO / LayerZero Bridge Exploit (April 2026) — DPRK Lazarus□BitMEX□Binance□Terra/Luna□Ctrl Wallet — Security Exploit and Forced Shutdown□Movement Labs□Zapper□Resolv□Polygon zkEVM□Alameda Research□Leap Wallet
Protocols
⌂BlockFi⌂Stream Finance⌂SecondFi (Cardano Wallet)⌂Drift Protocol
Tokens
♦Bitcoin
Relationships
  • 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%)
  • + 58 more
Also appears in
Loopring DEX Shutdown (June 2026)·30Railgun·40Polygon·54zkLend·20Polygon zkEVM·26ZKasino·3Spiko EU T-Bills Money Market Fund·68Raft·22StableMagnet·2Shibarium·28+ 50 more

Connected Through

21 shared actors · 636 investigations

Distinct actors this investigation shares with others — holders, traders, and named parties. Shared infrastructure (exchanges, pools) is excluded.

Have evidence about H1 2026 Crypto Project Shutdown Wave (100+ Projects)?
0
Accepted
1
Under review
0
Rejected / revoked

Community submissions

Timeline(15 events)

24 January 2026

Nifty Gateway (Gemini-owned NFT marketplace, $300M peak GMV) announces closure; platform enters withdrawal-only mode

CoinDesk

17 February 2026

ZeroLend DeFi lending protocol shuts down after 3 years, citing inactive chains, thin margins, and hacks

CoinDesk

23 February 2026

Nifty Gateway officially closes; withdrawal deadline passes

Gemini Official Blog

3 April 2026

Dmail Network (decentralized email, 5 years of operation) announces phased shutdown beginning May 15, citing infrastructure costs and failed monetization

Frontierbeat

15 May 2026

Dmail Network ceases all services

Phemex News

28 May 2026

Leap Wallet (Cosmos ecosystem) shuts down; multiple other wallets (Family, Ctrl) also cease operations in same period

CoinGabbar

28 June 2026

Loopring (Ethereum zk-rollup DEX, formerly $760M TVL) shuts down all trading and relayer operations; LRC token at approximately $0.01

Cryptonomist

July 2026

Polygon zkEVM (backed by $250M Hermez acquisition in 2021) officially shuts down; AscendEX centralized exchange also ceases operations

Crypto Times

15 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

CoinDesk

21 July 2026

Movement Labs bankruptcy filing publicly confirmed and reported; Chapter 11 petition lists assets $100K–$500K against up to $10M in liabilities

CoinDesk

23 July 2026

BitMEX announces permanent closure effective September 23, 2026; new account registrations halted immediately

CoinDesk

26 July 2026

BitMart announces orderly wind-down

Bitcoin Foundation / RootData

29 July 2026

Blockaid publishes H1 2026 security report: 212 exploits, $1.1–$1.32B in total losses, most-hacked half-year on record

The Block

4 August 2026

Crypto Times publishes comprehensive list: 100+ confirmed crypto project shutdowns in H1 2026 from BitMEX to Leap Wallet

Crypto Times

23 September 2026

BitMEX final closure date; users failing to withdraw by this date face ongoing asset fees

BitMEX Official Blog
Provenance & Audit Trail
Anchored on SolanaVerify on-chain27 Wayback Archives

Decision Log

This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain (3 events). 27 of 28 cited source URLs have an Internet Archive snapshot.

full audit log →version history →

model: claude-sonnet-4-6

generated: 8/4/2026, 12:28:45 PM

last updated: 8/26/2026, 10:07:47 AM

4 views

avoid.net — verified advice for a post-truth world