ZeroLend winds down operations, citing revenue collapse and inactive chains

ZeroLend, a multi-chain decentralized lending protocol, announced it is permanently winding down operations after three years of activity. Founder Ryker said sustained operational losses and a deteriorating market environment made the platform unsustainable.

At its peak in November 2024, ZeroLend held roughly $359 million in user deposits, according to DefiLlama data. That figure has since plunged to about $6.6 million across Linea, Ethereum, and ZKsync Era, with smaller balances on other networks.

Gross revenue reached $3.1 million in 2025 but has fallen to around $355,000 so far this year. Ryker cited dormant early-stage chains, discontinued oracle support, rising security threats, and thin lending margins as key pressures behind the shutdown.

Most markets have been set to zero percent loan-to-value, and users are urged to withdraw funds immediately. For assets stuck on networks such as Manta, Zircuit, and xLayer, the team plans a timelock smart contract upgrade to redistribute locked funds. LBTC suppliers on Base will receive a partial refund tied to a Linea airdrop allocation, according to the announcement.

The ZERO governance token offers no recovery mechanism. It has fallen 34% in the past day and now trades near zero.

Diego Martin, CEO of Yellow Capital, said the shutdown underscores deeper structural weaknesses in crypto markets. He argued that fragmented liquidity across exchanges, custodians, and blockchains creates pricing instability and liquidity gaps, limiting long-term adoption despite rising institutional capital flows.