# Sophon Sets November 25 Deadline for Asset Withdrawals Before Mainnet Shutdown Sophon users must migrate assets before the layer-2 network permanently ceases operations this November. - **Source:** [Cointelegraph.com News](https://brifing.si/source/2e81e982-0137-4db0-8ac2-351f37085775) - **Published:** 2026-10-20 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/caa5c79a-3d04-42f3-acaf-a3710c131891 ## Final Withdrawal Deadline Announced Sophon has officially set November 25 as the final date for users to withdraw assets from its layer-2 network. Following this deadline, the team will begin shutting down key infrastructure and related websites. Any assets, including SOPH, ETH, or USDC, remaining on the chain after this date risk becoming permanently inaccessible to users. ## Strategic Shift to Base The decision to shut down follows a June announcement regarding the network's future direction. Developers concluded that maintaining a standalone blockchain no longer justified the associated costs. Consequently, the project is pivoting its focus toward consumer finance and AI-driven applications, utilizing the Base ecosystem to host these future operations and services. ## Action Required for Users The Sophon team has explicitly instructed all users to withdraw their holdings immediately. This includes native SOPH tokens, Ether, and USDC stablecoins. Furthermore, users must ensure they claim any outstanding staking or Guardian rewards before the infrastructure goes offline. Failure to act by November 25 will result in the total loss of these assets. ## Historical Funding Context Sophon previously secured significant capital to support its development phase. The project successfully raised $60 million through a node sale conducted in 2024. This followed an earlier funding round that brought in $10 million. Despite this substantial financial backing, the team determined that the standalone blockchain model was not sustainable for long-term growth. ## Broader Industry Consolidation This shutdown reflects a wider trend among consumer-focused layer-2 networks struggling with maintenance costs. The move mirrors the recent closure of Abstract, a network backed by the parent company of Pudgy Penguins, Igloo. Abstract announced its own shutdown for December 15 after experiencing financial losses amounting to tens of millions of dollars. ## Infrastructure and Website Decommissioning The shutdown process is comprehensive, targeting both the underlying blockchain infrastructure and the associated web portals. By dismantling these access points, Sophon aims to finalize its transition away from the Ethereum layer-2 space. Users should prioritize the migration of their funds before these critical interfaces are taken down on the specified November date. ## Focus on Consumer Applications Initially launched as a zero-knowledge-powered network, Sophon targeted gaming, entertainment, and AI sectors. While the underlying blockchain technology is being abandoned, the team intends to maintain its commitment to consumer-facing applications. By relocating to Base, they hope to leverage existing infrastructure to support their new focus on consumer finance and AI-integrated tools. ## Implications of Network Closures The closure of Sophon highlights the intense economic pressure facing specialized blockchain networks today. High operational overheads often force projects to abandon proprietary chains in favor of established ecosystems like Base. For the broader industry, this signals a shift toward consolidation, where projects prioritize cost-efficiency over maintaining independent, resource-heavy layer-2 blockchain architectures. ## Sources covering this story - https://cointelegraph.com/news/sophon-sets-nov-25-withdrawal-deadline-ahead-of-mainnet-shutdown?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._