Some public chains might face existential challenges in 2026. Let's break down which ones are most vulnerable—looking at revenue models, active user bases, total value locked, liquidity depth, and real ecosystem momentum.

In the high-risk category: gaming-oriented chains that lack actual gaming applications and player adoption. Pretty ironic, right? You build a chain specifically for games but end up with no games and no gamers. Without genuine on-chain activity, these chains struggle to generate meaningful protocol revenue, attract institutional capital inflows, or maintain healthy trading liquidity. The TVL gets hollowed out, transaction volumes plummet, and suddenly you're burning through reserves just to keep lights on.

The sustainability question isn't academic—it's about whether a chain can cover its operational costs through organic network activity. When that foundation crumbles, everything else follows. No players means no fees. No fees means no runway. No runway means... well, you know where that leads.