Tier List of Chains that may Shut Down in 2026 🧵
(Ranked by their current self-sustainability across revenue, users, TVL, liquidity, and ecosystem traction)
S tier: Very Likely
@BuildOnBeam: Gaming-focused chain that doesn't have any established games and players.
@Somnia_Network: L1 built for real-time, fully onchain apps that never had a real moat, with dying metrics.
@ZetaChain: L1 for omnichain smart contracts with no users, ecosystem, and a down-only token.
@EclipseFND: Had a strong tech moat before TGE, but completely died after TGE, with insiders dumping the token to zero.
@modenetwork: Ethereum L2 pitched as a DeFi hub, but it never developed users or apps. Zero revenue, and no path for survival.
A tier: High Risk
@initia: L1 network of customizable L2 rollups to help teams launch their own chains/apps. Tech never paid out, and metrics are decreasing day by day.
@ApeChainHUB: Arbitrum-based chain built to power the ApeCoin ecosystem with virtually zero onchain activity.
@fuel_network: Gud execution tech, but liquidity vanished after TGE, and tech wasn't enough to sustain it.
@taikoxyz: Ethereum-equivalent zkEVM L2 aiming for maximum Ethereum compatibility that died on the TGE day.
@MantaNetwork: ZK ecosystem vision, but nothing became a USP for users. Usage is minimal wth occasional small spikes, incentive-based.
@Ronin_Network: Gaming chain that has been in a free-fall since 2021. No flagship games, and a weak economy to sustain its activity.
B tier: Medium Risk
@MetisL2: L2 with some infra around, yet it still cannot compete with bigger names and attract builders. It's just another useless L2 at the moment.
@BotanixLabs: Bitcoin L2 narrative, but the actual chain economy is barely alive. No real users and sustained transaction demand, it is one downturn away from being abandoned.
@berachain: L1 using Proof of Liquidity to align liquidity and security incentives. Failed to sustain meaningful activity post-TGE price has been down only
@blast_l2: Built around yield and points, which is the definition of mercenary liquidity. Once rewards were distributed, users left, and the chain was left hanging with no usage.
C tier: Lower Risk
@MultiversX: Big brand and big claims once, but it started to fade after 2021. It becomes a legacy chain that survives only on community inertia and treasury tokens.
@osmosis: Was presented as a full-blown DeFi hub with its own appchain. The volume started to decline after 2021, leaving it with virtually zero revenue to sustain its activity.
@flow_blockchain: Consumer and NFT chain, but it has not sustained a durable economy & retention post-NFT mania, and weak monetization keep it at risk of potential shutdown.
@zksync: ZK leader by narrative, yet its economy & usage still feels underpowered. If it doesn't get a banger app and more builders, it becomes great tech with no actual demand.
@Scroll_ZKP: Gud zkEVM tech, but adoption remains niche to some payment projects. Without a sustained healthy ecosystem, its apps will pivot to other L2s.
@Celo: Ethereum L2 for payments/stablecoins, but it needs consistent daily use beyond incentives, or it's just temporary mercenary liquidity.
D tier: Likely to Survive
@AbstractChain: Actually has a base of users & liquidity, not massive, but enough to survive if it keeps compounding.
@soneium: Has some branding advantage by Sony association, and IMO its survival odds are higher even if metrics aren are in decline.
@Sagaxyz__: An appchain that gained some traction lately (although the metrics are conservative). Can survive if they can sustain their yield and incentives.
@tezos: Not thriving, but historically resilient low excitement, yet it tends to somehow survive through cycles on inertia/runway.
Did I miss anything?
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