Treasure DAO to Sunset Its Layer-2 Blockchain Treasure Chain by May 30, 2025 Amid Strategic Refocus

May 6, 2025 – In a significant move for the Web3 gaming sector, Treasure DAO has announced it will shut down its proprietary Layer-2 blockchain, Treasure Chain, on May 30, 2025, following the approval of governance proposal TIP-52 by the community. The decision is part of a broader restructuring effort aimed at financial sustainability and product focus.

Cost Pressures Drive Critical Pivot

Originally launched on the ZKsync Layer-2 network, Treasure Chain was developed to support games like Bridgeworld and Smolworld, offering lower transaction fees and faster speeds than the Ethereum mainnet. However, the cost of running the chain has reached $450,000 per year, while DAO treasury reserves are projected to sustain operations only until late 2025 or early 2026.

To prevent long-term financial strain, Treasure DAO opted to sunset the blockchain and consolidate its efforts around core products and community engagement.

Timeline for Shutdown

Treasure DAO has outlined a two-phase wind-down process to allow users adequate time to retrieve their assets:

• The Topaz testnet will be decommissioned on May 9, 2025.
• The Treasure Chain mainnet will shut down at 1:00 AM (Vietnam time) on June 1, 2025.

Users must withdraw all assets by May 30, 2025, including:

• ETH, MAGIC, SMOL → back to Ethereum
• Beacon and WOP NFTs → back to Arbitrum

Assets not withdrawn before the deadline may become inaccessible once the chain is disabled.

From Custom Infrastructure to Strategic Refocus

Treasure Chain was envisioned as a foundational infrastructure for the Treasure ecosystem, enabling full control over gas fees, governance, and user experience. However, the DAO has acknowledged that maintaining a custom chain is resource-intensive and misaligned with its current financial and developmental capacity.

Moving forward, the DAO will:

• Prioritize core game development and player incentives.
• Rely on external infrastructure providers like Arbitrum to host its ecosystem.
• Explore AI-driven features to improve gameplay and scalability.

Community Response and Future Outlook

The TIP-52 proposal received broad support from DAO voters, with most community members recognizing the necessity of the shift. The emphasis on sustainability over short-term infrastructure expansion has been praised as a mature and responsible strategic move.

By consolidating efforts, Treasure DAO aims to streamline operations and reinforce its long-term mission of building innovative Web3 gaming experiences without the overhead of chain maintenance.

While the decommissioning of Treasure Chain marks the end of an ambitious infrastructure chapter, it also represents a strategic realignment toward sustainability and product excellence. In a rapidly evolving Web3 landscape, such focused decisions may well determine which projects endure — and which fade.