Crypto projects are disappearing, winding down, or restructuring at a faster pace in 2026 as the bear market forces Web3 teams to prove they have real users, real revenue, and enough runway to keep operating.

RootData’s 2026 Crypto Industry Dead Projects List shows that 99 crypto projects have already shut down, filed for bankruptcy, disappeared, or become inactive this year, according to U.Today. Earlier reports had cited lower counts, with Cryptopolitan reporting 95 projects and 17 major shutdowns or bankruptcies before the latest update.

The number matters because the pressure is no longer limited to one narrative. The 2026 wave includes wallets, exchanges, DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, Layer-1 networks, Layer-2 networks,…