DeFi protocol GRO considers shutdown amid sector-wide pullback

A yield aggregator that formerly boasted $70m in TVL is voting to close down operations

article-image

William Barton/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

As user activity and volumes across the DeFi space sink, a protocol that peaked at $70 million in total value locked (TVL) in late 2021 voted to “unwind the Protocol and the DAO” on Tuesday. 

In a vote passed early Tuesday morning, the GRO DAO voted to effectively cease ongoing operations. It will redeem the rest of its treasury directly to GRO token holders who deposit into a redemption contract. 

Three options were presented: unwinding the operations, supporting a two-person team for continued development, or dismissing the proposal entirely. The decision was made to allocate $180,000 (in USDC) for a three-month period, allowing the “Groda Pod” development team to release the reimbursement contract and cease activities.

The proposal cited “difficult market, underperformance of the Gro protocol, and key departures” as extenuating circumstances leading to the decision to put an existential vote before the DAO. 

The project was founded in 2020 by former employees of Goldman Sachs, Spotify, Morgan Stanley, and Revolut. In 2021, they announced a $7.1 million raise that included funds such as Framework, 3AC, and Nascent. At the protocol’s peak in October 2021, it boasted over $68 million in stables deposited into its yield aggregation and risk tranching contracts. 

The vote to wind down comes amid a rocky period for DeFi protocols. The sector’s aggregate TVL has drifted from a high of $1.05 billion in April to just $80 billion as of today. The pullback comes amid a broader downturn in user activity across Ethereum

User numbers for popular DeFi protocols are especially languid. Uniswap weekly volume is set to print new 2023 lows, and monthly users for popular lending protocols such as Aave have slumped by 40% from yearly highs.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Brooklyn, NY

SUN - MON, JUN. 22 - 23, 2025

Blockworks and Cracked Labs are teaming up for the third installment of the Permissionless Hackathon, happening June 22–23, 2025 in Brooklyn, NY. This is a 36-hour IRL builder sprint where developers, designers, and creatives ship real projects solving real problems across […]

recent research

Research Report Templates.png

Research

Maple Finance has successfully navigated significant market challenges through its strategic pivot to secured lending (Maple v2) and the launch of its Syrup product. Syrup has become a primary growth driver, delivering sustainable, outperforming stablecoin yields and rapidly increasing TVL. The upcoming custody-first Bitcoin staking product (istBTC) presents another significant avenue for expansion. Crucially, Maple has achieved operational profitability, a key inflection point that, combined with a fully vested token and active buyback mechanism, strengthens its investment case. While valuation metrics suggest potential undervaluation relative to peers and growth, the primary forward-looking risk identified is the long-term sustainability of its current high-take-rate collateral staking revenue model.

article-image

In 2014, Microsoft virus scanners were detecting viruses in Bitcoin software

article-image

Ledn’s Mauricio Di Bartolomeo explained how this cycle’s been different for the lender

article-image

The shorts looking for funding range from charming animated series to gritty live-action dramas

article-image

Money, it turns out, is emergent, like consciousness

article-image

Bridge flows churn in both directions as risk appetite returns

article-image

Even with an uncertain outlook thanks to tariffs, Big Tech executives are still ramping up their AI investments