The crypto industry is going through a major cleanup in 2026, with more than 70 crypto projects shutting down during the first half of the year, according to data from RootData. The list includes projects that permanently closed, filed for bankruptcy, or simply went inactive after their websites stopped working for extended periods.
Major Crypto Projects That Closed
The shutdowns span nearly every sector of the industry. High-profile names include Loopring, Goldfinch, NFTfi, Nifty Gateway, Foundation, ZeroLend, Ionic, Rage Trade, Botanix, Over Protocol, Zero Network, Leap Wallet, Dmail, Step Finance, MilkyWay, Fantasy Top, and Parsec. Web3 gaming, $NFT, DeFi, Layer-2, and infrastructure projects have all been affected, showcasing the deep impact of the market slowdown.
Why Even Well-Funded Startups Failed
Among the biggest casualties were Yupp, Syndicate Labs, and Entropy, which collectively raised around $87 million from a16z.
- Yupp, an AI-powered on-chain content platform, raised $33 million and attracted nearly 1.3 million users, but failed to generate sustainable revenue despite strong user growth.
- Syndicate Labs secured $27.8 million to build DAO infrastructure but struggled as demand for DAOs declined. A private key compromise in April further added pressure before the company shut down in May.
- Entropy, a decentralized crypto custody startup, raised nearly $27 million but failed to achieve product-market fit despite multiple strategic planning. The company closed in January and earned praise for returning its remaining capital to investors.
What Went Wrong?
Several factors contributed to the growing list of failures. Bitcoin fell nearly 23% during the first quarter of 2026, reducing investor appetite for higher-risk crypto startups. Venture capital funding also became far more selective, with investors prioritizing projects that generate real revenue, strong product-market fit, and sustainable business models instead of relying on hype or rapid user growth.
At the same time, capital increasingly flowed into Bitcoin ETFs and larger cryptocurrencies, leaving many smaller projects struggling to attract liquidity, retain users, and secure fresh funding. Declining activity across NFTs, DeFi, DAOs, and blockchain gaming further accelerated the shutdowns.
Although the closures mark one of crypto’s largest industry cleanups, many analysts say the reset could ultimately strengthen the sector by allowing projects with genuine utility, active communities, and sustainable business models to emerge as long-term winners.
