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Lending · Review

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ZeroLend Review 2026: A Lending Protocol That Is Shutting Down

ZeroLend was a decentralized lending protocol that let users supply and borrow crypto assets without a custodian. The team has announced it will shut down, so this review is a record of the project rather than a guide to using it.

By the DappsAtlas editorial team · Updated

DappsAtlas score

2.0/10

Weak

Our verdict on Zerolend

2.0/10

ZeroLend was a non-custodial lending protocol offering supply, borrow, variable and stable rates. It is not a product to use now, because the team has announced a shutdown after reported liquidity and revenue problems. The main takeaway for existing users is to check the official announcement and withdraw assets promptly. Public sources give no audit, fee or licence details, so there is little basis for judging its security beyond its design.

Score breakdown

How Zerolend scores

Security
n/a
Ease of use
n/a
Fees
n/a
Features
5.0/10

Scores run from 0 to 10 and are based only on facts we could verify. Where information was missing we mark the score n/a rather than guess.

What is Zerolend?

ZeroLend was a decentralized lending protocol on Layer 2 networks. Users could supply crypto assets to earn interest and borrow against them, using variable or stable rates. Public reporting describes it as an open source protocol built around non-custodial liquidity markets.

In February 2026, several reports said the team would shut the project down after nearly three years. One report cites liquidity and revenue issues as the reason. Users were urged to withdraw their assets, and one report says Base chain LBTC users would receive a payout as part of the wind-down.

The project's own token, ZERO, is listed on several exchanges according to public reporting. Its price pages show $0.00, which matches a project that has stopped operating. The project does not include current user counts or total value locked.

How Zerolend works

A lending protocol like ZeroLend pools assets that users deposit. Lenders receive interest paid by borrowers, and borrowers post collateral that is worth more than the loan. Rates typically move with how much of the pool is borrowed.

In a non-custodial design, the smart contracts hold the funds and the rules are enforced by code. Users interact directly from a wallet rather than with a company account. The reports describe ZeroLend as a protocol of this type, offering variable and stable rate options.

The project does not describe ZeroLend's specific collateral list, liquidation parameters or governance design, so those details cannot be checked here.

3 features

Key features

01

Supply and earn interest

Users could supply assets to earn interest from borrowers.

02

Variable and stable rates

Borrowers could take loans with either variable or stable interest rates, according to the protocol description.

03

Non-custodial design

The protocol was described as non-custodial, so lending pools ran through smart contracts rather than a company holding user funds.

Pros and cons

What we like

  • The protocol design was open source, so its code could be read by anyone.
  • It was non-custodial, so users held control of their assets through their own wallets.
  • It offered both variable and stable rate lending options.
  • The team has stated a wind-down plan and asked users to withdraw, which gives them a clear action to take.
  • Users on Base may receive a payout under the reported LBTC arrangement.

Watch out for

  • The protocol has announced it will wind down operations, so new deposits and borrows are not an option.
  • Reported liquidity and revenue problems were the stated reason for the shutdown.
  • Users were urged to withdraw their assets, and the project does not describe how or when that withdrawal window closes.
  • Public sources include no audit reports, so the security of the contracts cannot be checked from this material.
  • Token price pages in public reporting shows a price of $0.00 and a market cap of $0.00, which reflects the wind-down rather than a working market.

Zerolend fees

The project does not publish a fee schedule for ZeroLend. Any interest spreads or protocol charges would have appeared in the app and contract documentation, which the project does not include.

Is Zerolend safe?

The project does not include a public audit report for ZeroLend's contracts, so the review cannot confirm whether the code was audited or how often.

The main risk now is operational. The team has said it will cease operations, and the project does not describe a timetable, a withdrawal deadline or the state of the pools after the shutdown. Users should move funds only through the official announcement and should verify any link they receive, since fake withdrawal pages are a common problem during shutdowns.

Lending carries smart-contract risk and counterparty risk even when it runs as intended. Gambling is not relevant here. Anyone using any crypto product should be 18 or older and should check that such activity is legal where they live.

5 steps

How to get started with Zerolend

  1. 1

    Check the official announcement for the current wind-down status and withdrawal instructions.

  2. 2

    Confirm which chain your position is on, since public sources name Base and Linea.

  3. 3

    Withdraw supplied assets and repay any outstanding loans before the stated deadline, if the project publishes one.

  4. 4

    Watch for any payout announcement for Base LBTC users and follow the official channels for instructions.

  5. 5

    Keep records of your transactions for tax and accounting purposes.

Who Zerolend is for

This page is most useful for anyone who held a ZeroLend position and needs to understand the wind-down, or for readers researching what happened to the project. It is not suited to new users looking to lend or borrow, since the protocol is closing.

Zerolend FAQs

Is ZeroLend still operating?

Multiple public reporting from February 2026 report that ZeroLend announced it would cease operations after nearly three years, citing liquidity and revenue issues. The project's founder is described as using a pseudonym. Users were urged to withdraw their assets.

What did ZeroLend do?

Based on the reports, ZeroLend was an open source protocol for non-custodial lending markets. Users could supply assets to earn interest or borrow against them, with either variable or stable rates.

Do Base LBTC users get anything after the shutdown?

One report says Base chain LBTC users would receive a payout as part of the wind-down. The project does not give the amount, the method or the timing, so readers should check the official announcement for details.

Which chains did ZeroLend run on?

Public sources name the Linea and Base chains. Its listed token, ZERO, appears in exchange listing pages, but the project does not give the token's current trading status.

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How we checked

Sources

No public sources were recorded for this review.

Last updated . Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.