Router Protocol Shutdown by September 30 After Bridge Economics Fail
Router Protocol ends operations by 30 September 2026, citing compressed bridge fees against fixed costs, with a 303.3 million ROUTE token burn planned.
Router Protocol will end all operations by 30 September 2026 after failing to commercialize or find acquirers for its cross-chain bridge business.
The protocol raised more than $4 million in 2021 from investors including Coinbase Ventures. Daily bridge volume had fallen to roughly $677 on 7 September.
Router plans to permanently burn 303.3 million ROUTE tokens, about 30 percent of supply, and open-source selected components. KuCoin has already suspended ROUTE deposits; other exchange schedules remain venue-specific.
What remains unknown
The exact service-by-service shutdown schedule for apps, API, and widgets is not stated. Timeline and scope of open-sourcing remain unspecified.