82 crypto projects have shut down in 2026, spanning DeFi, infrastructure, and Web3 gaming
Odaily reports: Crypto researcher Stacy Muur has compiled a list of 82 digital asset projects and protocols said to have shut down in 2026, including Balancer, Radiant Capital, Neon EVM, Step Finance, and others, spanning DeFi, blockchain infrastructure, and Web3 gaming.
The shutdowns were driven by declining revenue, exhausted funding, and security incidents. Earlier this year, Bitcoin's price briefly fell below $60,000, retreating from an all-time high of over $126,000 in October 2025, adding financial pressure on projects.
When Ethereum Layer 2 network Blast announced its shutdown, it stated that the project had no "credible path to economic viability." Step Finance shut down following a major treasury exploit, while Radiant Capital announced the end of operations after failing to recover from a 2024 exploit.
An August study by DeFiLlama showed that 100 crypto projects had announced shutdowns in 2026, 40 of which occurred in the preceding 90 days; the most common reason was product-market mismatch, followed by exhausted funding, insufficient revenue, and pivots to other products. The projects involved raised a combined total of approximately $1 billion and generated $250 million in cumulative fees, with 9 individual projects each raising over $50 million. (Cointelegraph)
