Sophon Sets Nov. 25 Deadline: Users Must Withdraw Assets Before Mainnet Shutdown

Sophon has announced a Nov. 25 deadline for users to withdraw their assets from its blockchain, as the zero-knowledge-powered Ethereum layer-2 network prepares to permanently shut down its mainnet. In a Monday statement, the Sophon team said it will begin decommissioning key infrastructure and related websites on that date, warning that any SOPH, ETH, USDC, or other tokens remaining on Sophon Chain risk becoming permanently inaccessible. Users have also been urged to claim any outstanding staking or Guardian rewards before the cutoff.

The shutdown follows a June announcement in which Sophon's developers explained that the costs of maintaining a standalone blockchain no longer justified its benefits. Instead, the project will pivot toward consumer finance and AI applications built on Base, Coinbase's Ethereum layer-2 network. Sophon originally launched as a layer-2 focused on consumer applications spanning gaming, entertainment, and artificial intelligence.

Sophon had raised significant capital prior to the decision, including $60 million through a 2024 node sale following an earlier $10 million funding round. The closure mirrors a similar announcement from Abstract, the consumer-focused Ethereum layer-2 developed by Pudgy Penguins parent company Igloo, which revealed on Oct. 6 that it would shut down on Dec. 15 after Igloo absorbed tens of millions of dollars in losses supporting the network. Together, the two closures underscore mounting financial pressures facing standalone consumer-focused layer-2 blockchains as developers increasingly consolidate around larger ecosystems like Base.