Router Protocol to Shut Down, Burn 303 Million ROUTE Tokens

Router Protocol is a cross-chain infrastructure project backed by Coinbase Ventures and Polygon, which participated in a $4.1 million funding round in 2021. The company launched Router Chain, its own Layer 1 network, in July 2024, but moved to wind it down in September 2025 as infrastructure costs, validator inflation and security risks mounted. It subsequently focused on its Open Graph Architecture for connecting bridges and trading infrastructure.

Router Protocol said on Sept. 5, 2026, that it would cease all operations by Sept. 30 after a year of unsuccessful commercialization, technology-licensing and acquisition efforts. It plans to permanently burn 303,333,198 ROUTE tokens held in its treasury, representing about 30% of the token’s nearly 1 billion supply. Centralized exchanges will set separate delisting and withdrawal schedules, while the team intends to open-source selected components developed over more than four years.