Sophon Mandates Asset Withdrawal by November 25 Ahead of Network Shutdown

On Monday, Sophon revealed plans to begin decommissioning critical infrastructure and related websites starting November 25. Any assets remaining on the Sophon Chain after this date risk becoming permanently inaccessible to users.

The Sophon team urged all users to retrieve any remaining tokens—such as Sophon (SOPH), Ether (ETH), USDC, and others—and to claim any outstanding rewards from staking or Guardian programs before the shutdown.

Originally launched as a zero-knowledge-based layer-2 network, Sophon targeted consumer applications including gaming, entertainment, and artificial intelligence. In June, developers stated that the expenses associated with maintaining an independent blockchain outweighed its benefits, leading to a strategic shift toward consumer finance and AI projects on Base.

This closure comes shortly after Abstract, another Ethereum layer-2 network focused on consumers and developed by Igloo (the parent company of Pudgy Penguins), announced its own shutdown. Abstract declared on October 6 that it would cease operations on December 15 after Igloo incurred substantial financial losses supporting the network.

Previously, it was reported that Sophon secured $60 million through a node sale in 2024, following an earlier funding round that raised $10 million.

This shutdown is significant as it highlights the challenges faced by layer-2 projects in balancing operational costs with technological advantages, influencing strategic pivots within the blockchain ecosystem.