Ethereum layer-2 network Blast is winding down, saying the ongoing cost of maintaining the chain exceeds its revenue and that it sees no credible path to economic sustainability. The team announced the decision on October 2 and asked users to withdraw assets to Ethereum mainnet, including balances held in the Blast progressive web app.

The immediate issue for users is the withdrawal timetable. Blast said it would first begin withdrawing its Lido assets, a process expected to take approximately one week. Withdrawals will temporarily be unavailable during that process, even after the network reduces its withdrawal delay to 24 hours.

Once the Lido withdrawal process is complete, withdrawals are expected to resume with the new 24-hour delay. That means the shorter delay should not be read as a promise that users can withdraw immediately throughout the wind-down.

Users will have until October 26, 2026 to withdraw through the normal Blast interface. The team said assets would remain withdrawable after that date, but users would need to interact directly with Blast bridge contracts on Ethereum layer 1. It promised detailed instructions before the interface deadline.

CoinDesk separately reported the shutdown and the October 26 cutoff, corroborating the central announcement. The team's statement frames the closure as an operating-economics decision, rather than announcing an exploit.

For users and developers, the distinction is practical: October 26 is an interface-access deadline, not a stated forfeiture of remaining assets. The transition nevertheless makes the announced withdrawal pause and subsequent reopening important milestones to monitor.