63 crypto projects have wound down in 2026, from exchanges to games
News ·
A running tally shows shutdowns spanning centralized exchanges, Layer 2 networks, DeFi protocols, wallets and Web3 games across every month of the year so far.
A compiled list puts the 2026 shutdown count at 63 projects, spanning July back through January, according to a tally posted on x.com. The list includes derivatives exchange BitMEX, which stopped operations 23 Jul with full closure set for 23 Sep 2026, and AscendEX, the centralized exchange formerly known as BitMax, which shut down 11 Jul. Also on the list are Ethereum zkRollup and DEX Loopring, which closed 3 Jul, and Polygon's zkEVM rollup, which wound down 1 Jul.
The shutdowns are not confined to exchanges or Layer 2 infrastructure. DeFi lending and yield protocols make up a large share of the list, including Radiant Capital, a cross-chain lending protocol that closed 1 Jun, Seamless Protocol, a DeFi lending platform on Base that shut down 8 Apr, and Angle Protocol, a decentralized stablecoin project behind agEUR that wound down 4 Mar. Liquid staking and restaking projects also appear, among them Swell, which closed 17 Jun, and MilkyWay, a Cosmos liquid staking protocol that shut down 26 Mar.
Wallets and consumer-facing tools were affected as well. Ctrl Wallet, a multichain wallet formerly known as XDEFI, closed 7 Jul, while Leap Wallet, built for the Cosmos ecosystem, and Magic Eden Wallet, a self-custody wallet, both wound down in early April. NFT marketplaces Foundation and Nifty Gateway also appear on the list, closing 15 Apr and 28 Jan respectively. Web3 games account for a sizable portion of the total, with titles such as Fishing Frenzy, Pudgy Party, Genso Online and 77-Bit all shutting down between April and June.
The tally attributes the wave to dried-up trading volume, expired token incentive programs, and a market environment that stopped funding projects without established users. A separate accounting places the total shutdown figure for 2026 above 80 projects, tied to funding shortages, regulatory pressure, and declining market activity, suggesting the 63-project list may not capture the full scope of closures this year.
What remains unclear is how many of the listed shutdowns represent full wind-downs versus partial suspensions or migrations, and whether the pace of closures will continue at the same rate through the remainder of 2026. The list's maintainers have said further project-by-project breakdowns will be published on an ongoing basis, which may adjust the running total or add detail to individual entries.