Harmony Warns AI Risks Behind Blockchain Shutdown Plan

Harmony Cites AI Threats in Proposed Blockchain Shutdown

Harmony has proposed retiring its layer-1 blockchain and migrating its native token, ONE, to Ethereum as a new ERC-20 asset, citing escalating security risks from “state actors and AI agents.” The plan would end Harmony’s run as an independent blockchain after launching its mainnet in 2019.

In a statement posted on X, the Harmony team said, “The threats posed by state actors and AI agents are too great… but it is time to fully sunset the Harmony network.” The proposal is described as non-binding, and Harmony has not announced a date for the final block.

The team said it intends to take a final snapshot of the network, issue ONE on Ethereum, and move exchange listings to the new token. According to a post circulated by BeInCrypto, the snapshot is intended to cover tokens in wallets, exchanges, staking, and smart contracts, with new ONE tokens airdropped to the same addresses on Ethereum.

Harmony also warned that parts of its ecosystem cannot be migrated. “Multisig safes, liquidity pools, and onchain apps cannot be migrated; users are urged to exit all smart contracts before September 10, 2026,” the team wrote.

Validators, who verify transactions and help secure the network, could begin shutting down nodes from 7 a.m. Pacific on September 10, according to the plan. Harmony also proposed paying eligible validators and their delegators from a $1.372 million pool in four quarterly installments, provided that validators retain their stakes, sign an agreement, and serve as governors.

Under the proposal, Harmony said total supply and the token emission rate would remain unchanged, but future emissions would be redirected to fund a new initiative called “The Remix Economy for AI Video.” Harmony described the shift as a way to mitigate the security threat and repurpose the ecosystem, with validators potentially taking governance roles or joining the AI-video business.

The proposed shutdown follows an August security incident that the project said forced it to consider reversing days of blockchain activity after unauthorized ONE entered circulation. Harmony did not provide additional detail on how that event would be handled under the migration plan.

Harmony’s move also fits a broader pattern of projects choosing to retire their own base layers after serious security incidents. One recent example cited in the source material is BounceBit, which retired its layer 1 in August and reissued its token on BNB Chain after an attacker moved 286.5 million BB.

• What’s changing: Harmony proposes sunsetting its layer-1 network and reissuing ONE as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum.
• Key deadline: Users are urged to exit all smart contracts before September 10, 2026, as certain onchain assets and applications cannot be migrated.
• Why it matters: The plan would effectively retire Harmony as an independent chain and shift its validator community toward governance and a new AI video initiative.
• Status: The proposal is non-binding, with no final block date announced.