Sophon has told users to withdraw assets by Nov. 25 as it prepares to shut down its mainnet and related infrastructure, months after announcing it would abandon its Ethereum layer-2 network and shift operations to Base. The team said any funds left on Sophon Chain after key systems and websites begin going offline on that date could become permanently inaccessible. Users have been asked to withdraw SOPH, ETH, USDC and other assets, and to claim any unclaimed staking or Guardian rewards. Sophon had launched as a zero-knowledge-powered layer-2 focused on consumer use cases such as gaming, entertainment and AI, but in June its developers said the cost of maintaining a standalone blockchain no longer made sense relative to the benefits. The move comes shortly after Abstract, another consumer-focused Ethereum layer-2 built by Pudgy Penguins parent Igloo, said it would also shut down. Cointelegraph previously reported that Sophon raised $60 million through a node sale in 2024 after a separate $10 million funding round.
Sophon has set a Nov. 25 deadline for users to withdraw assets before its planned mainnet shutdown, months after saying it would abandon its Ethereum layer-2 blockchain and move operations to Base.
In an update issued Monday, the project said it will begin shutting down key infrastructure and related websites on Nov. 25. Any assets left on Sophon Chain after that point may become permanently inaccessible.
The team asked users to withdraw Sophon (SOPH), Ether (ETH), USDC (USDC) and other assets, and to claim any outstanding staking rewards or Guardian rewards.
Sophon had already decided to leave its standalone chain behind
Sophon launched as a zero-knowledge-powered layer-2 network aimed at consumer applications, including gaming, entertainment and AI. In June, its developers said the cost of maintaining a standalone blockchain no longer justified the benefits, and announced plans to focus on consumer finance and AI applications on Base.
Another consumer-focused Ethereum L2 is also closing
The shutdown comes after a similar announcement from Abstract, the consumer-focused Ethereum layer-2 network developed by Igloo, the parent company of Pudgy Penguins. Abstract said on Oct. 6 that it would close on Dec. 15 after Igloo lost tens of millions of dollars supporting the network.
Previous fundraising
Cointelegraph previously reported that Sophon raised $60 million through a node sale in 2024, following a separate $10 million funding round.
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