POAP Shuts Down After Five Years of Issuing Blockchain Badges

POAP's five-year run has come to an end as its co-founder Isabel Gonzalez announced the shutdown of the blockchain badge platform on August 3, 2026. The company allowed users to mint onchain mementos to prove attendance at crypto events and conferences.

Since launching in 2019 during the ETHDenver hackathon with around 100 ERC-721 badges, POAP has grown to work with brands like Coinbase and American Express. Over 7.6 million badges have been created since its inception.

Gonzalez stated that the industry's funding cycles made it challenging to keep the company running without losing what made the badges meaningful to collectors.