Blast shuts down: withdraw by 26 October
Ethereum layer 2 Blast is closing. Until 26 October you can move funds back to Ethereum via its website, after that only via the bridge contracts. Here’s how.
Blast, a layer 2 built on Ethereum, is shutting down. If you still have ETH, stablecoins or tokens on Blast, you can move them back to Ethereum through the regular website until 26 October. After that, the website closes. Your funds can still be recovered, but only directly through the bridge contracts on Ethereum. Blast announced the decision on 2 October.
Why Blast is shutting down
The network costs more to run than it brings in, the team writes, and it sees no credible path to a healthy budget. According to Cointelegraph, Blast earned less than $2,000 in its most recent month, compared with around $3.5 million in June 2024.
Blast started in November 2023 with $20 million from investors Paradigm and Standard Crypto. Its founder is Tieshun Roquerre, known as ‘Pacman’, who also set up the NFT marketplace Blur. Even before the network launched in February 2024, more than $2 billion had been deposited, peaking at $2.27 billion. Now it holds a fraction of that: estimates range from around $32 million to $65 million. The BLAST token is trading some 98% below its June 2024 high.
What happens over the coming weeks
Blast kept part of the deposited funds with Lido, the staking service the network used to pay a yield on ETH. The team is unwinding that position first. That takes about a week, and withdrawals are paused in the meantime.
After that, withdrawals reopen and the waiting period drops from seven days to 24 hours. Those seven days are standard for this type of layer 2: everyone gets a week to challenge a faulty transaction before funds can move back to Ethereum.
What to do now
Check whether you still have anything on Blast. Switch your wallet to the Blast network, or look up your address in Blast’s block explorer. Don’t forget balances in the Blast web app: those need to go back to Ethereum too.
Don’t wait until the final week. First, withdrawals are paused for about a week, and after that there is still a 24-hour wait. The team has not explained how Blast will handle a withdrawal that is still in progress around 26 October. Start early and you won’t have to find out.
Swap tokens from Blast apps first. The bridge takes ETH and stablecoins back to Ethereum. A token from an app that only runs on Blast may have no market there. Swap it on Blast itself while there is still trading.
Only click links from Blast’s own channels. Fake sites that ask you to ‘claim’ or ‘migrate’ tend to pop up around a shutdown. No genuine withdrawal will ever ask for your recovery phrase. Here’s how to spot the tricks.
After 26 October
Your funds won’t be gone. The bridge contracts on Ethereum remain in place, and you can use them to start a withdrawal yourself, without the website. That is more technical. Blast says it will explain how before 26 October. If you’re not quite sure how your wallet talks to a contract, read how a web3 wallet works first, or sort it out before the deadline.
Is your BLAST on an exchange?
Then the 26 October deadline does not apply to you: that balance is held by the exchange, not on the network. Exchanges are reacting, though. South Korean exchanges Upbit and Bithumb added BLAST to their warning lists on 3 October and suspended deposits. Check whether your exchange has announced anything.
What Blast tells us about layer 2s
In June we wrote that activity on Ethereum is shifting to layer 2s. Blast shows the other side: a network that attracted money with airdrop points and yield failed to hold on to it once those incentives fell away. For you as a user, it means the smaller a network, the greater the chance you’ll face a deadline like this one day.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my funds if I miss 26 October?
No. After 26 October you can still withdraw, but directly through the bridge contracts on Ethereum rather than through the website. Blast has promised instructions before the deadline.
How long does a withdrawal from Blast to Ethereum take?
Normally seven days. Once Blast has unwound its Lido position, that becomes 24 hours. While it unwinds, which takes about a week, withdrawals are paused.
Do I need to do anything if my BLAST tokens are on an exchange?
The 26 October deadline does not apply to you: it only covers funds on the network itself. Do keep an eye on messages from your exchange: some have already suspended BLAST deposits.
Amounts in US dollars, as reported by Blast, Cointelegraph and The Block. Sources last checked on 6 October 2026.