More than 70 crypto projects shut down during the first half of 2026, according to data compiled by RootData. The closures span projects that formally declared bankruptcy, ceased operations without announcement, or let their web infrastructure go dark for extended periods.
The tally represents a major culling of the crypto roster after years of rapid expansion and speculative funding. RootData's count captures the full spectrum of project failure modes, from orderly wind-downs to silent abandonment.
No single regulatory action or market event appears to have triggered the cluster, though the broader operating environment for crypto startups has shifted markedly since the 2021 bull cycle. Many smaller projects struggle to sustain token liquidity, developer activity, or user engagement once initial hype cycles fade.
The list does not distinguish between projects that lost investor backing, faced legal obstacles, or simply failed to build sustainable product economics. RootData's methodology tracks projects formally marked as inactive or defunct in major tracking systems, though the true number of abandoned efforts may be higher if accounting for sites that go dark without formal status changes.