ABFinance shuts down before going live – Why crypto’s bear market matters

Exchange closures have become all too common in a bear market, with some  exchanges shutting down even before launching. Following a series of recent shutdowns, ABFinance has now joined the list.

ABFinance announces suspension of operations

ABFinance, a U.S.-compliant cryptocurrency trading platform founded by former Bybit co-CEO Helen Liu, has announced the suspension of operations.

In March 2026, Helen Liu announced the creation of a new U.S.-based platform, ABFinance. Notably, the platform was built with compliant licensing from the first day.

However, nearly five months after its announcement, the core product still hasn’t launched publicly. Shockingly, the team announced the immediate suspension of operations.

ABfinance stated through their official X that

Planned launch will not move forward 

This marked a sudden end to the founder’s effort to combine deposits, earnings, and spending under the U.S. regulatory umbrella. After the announcement, the team thanked its community and partners.

The team has not stated specific reasons or a closure timeline. Therefore, information about users needing to withdraw assets has not yet been officially confirmed. 

Why are crypto exchanges failing?

Although ABfinance did not disclose the reasons for the exit, market conditions have become a major factor.

In fact, ABFinance joins a long list of projects that have closed in 2026.  In July, for example, two major exchanges, BitMart and BitMex, announced their closure.

BitMart, for example, exited, citing market conditions, changing strategic directions, and difficult operating environments. These reasons have been cited by other projects, including BitMex.

That’s not all, as Rootdata tracking reported that over 100 projects have closed down in 2026, including exchanges, Blockchains, DeFi Protocols , NFT Platforms, etc.

Therefore, these projects have mostly closed because of poor financial conditions. For instance, crypto trading volume plunged to a low of $43 billion from a high of over $150 billion. 

For projects that have held treasuries, they have suffered even more as their investments have plunged significantly.

What’s next for crypto?

Although these projects have failed, it does not signal doom for the crypto market. In fact, the market has absorbed the recent closures of BitMart and BitMex very well.

Even after these projects announced an exit, the market barely moved and continued to trade within a thin range. Therefore, ABFinance’s failure to continue with the launch, will remain insignificant and have no impact on the market.

However, it sends a cautionary message to potential investors seeking to enter the market. Thus, market conditions are unkind and unwelcoming for new entrants.

Final Summary

• ABFinance, a U.S.-compliant cryptocurrency trading platform, has announced the suspension of operations after only five months.
• Crypto exchanges and projects continue to fail in 2026, driven by difficult financial conditions and a regulatory environment.