Acala and Karura shutdown: key details for users
4.2 Crypto Acala and Karura will close on February 10, 2027, pending governance votes. Users must withdraw external assets before closure, as native tokens will become inaccessible.
Acala and its sister network Karura, leading DeFi hubs on Polkadot and Kusama, have announced plans to permanently shut down on February 10, 2027. This closure is contingent on the approval of two governance referendums: Acala Referendum #195 and Karura Referendum #137. The decision follows persistent liquidity issues and insufficient DeFi activity, despite nearly seven years of development. Users holding external assets such as DOT, KSM, USDT, and USDC are strongly urged to withdraw their funds before the shutdown. After closure, native tokens ACA and KAR will remain locked and inaccessible. Additionally, there are earlier deadlines for unbonding liquid staking positions: LDOT by January 12, 2027, and LKSM by February 2, 2027. This marks the end of two pioneering parachain projects and highlights the challenges of sustaining DeFi ecosystems across multiple chains. The final decision rests with token holders through the upcoming governance votes.
