Ethereum’s consumer-focused layer-2 network, Abstract, has announced it has begun the process of ending operations and shutting down completely. According to the project team, the Abstract network will cease operations on December 15th.
The team’s statement noted that the cryptocurrency sector has changed significantly since Abstract was first conceived, and that an independent blockchain model focused solely on consumer-oriented crypto applications has proven unsustainable. The project stated that growth has stagnated due to the limited DeFi ecosystem, low network liquidity, limited interaction with institutional investors, and a lower budget compared to competitors.
The Abstract team reported that over the past 12 months, they have evaluated various options to improve product-market fit and scale the network, but encountered significant challenges due to the substantial changes in conditions within the blockchain sector. The statement indicated that they were forced to choose between continuing to invest resources in a network that was operationally unsustainable and not growing sufficiently, and shutting down the network.