ElizaOS token sinks 19% to record low after founder declares it ‘dead’

cointelegraphPublished on 2026-08-06Last updated on 2026-08-06

Abstract

The ElizaOS token plummeted 19% to a record low of $0.000284 after its founder, Shaw Walters, declared the token "dead" and announced the winding down of the Eliza Foundation. Walters stated he no longer owns or supports the token, attributing the project's end to a costly lawsuit settlement that drained its treasury, leaving no funds for buybacks or future support. He emphasized that development of the open-source Eliza software will continue, but he will never allow another token to be associated with it. This marks a stark fall for the token, which once reached a $2.5 billion market cap in January 2025 under its previous name, AI16Z.

ElizaOS fell 19% over 24 hours to an all-time low after Eliza Labs founder Shaw Walters said the token was “dead” and that the Eliza Foundation was winding down.

CoinGecko data showed the token trading at $0.000285 at the time of writing after touching a record low of $0.000284 on Thursday with a market capitalization of $2.1 million.

The drop came after an announcement from Walters that the foundation was winding down. “The token is dead. Completely,” Walters said, adding that he no longer owned or supported the token. He said the development of the open-source Eliza software would continue without the token or the foundation.

The decline represents a stark reversal for one of the AI-agent sector’s former breakout tokens. Before the project rebranded as ElizaOS, the token, then known as AI16Z, reached a peak market capitalization of $2.5 billion in January 2025, according to CoinGecko.

ElizaOS’ 24-hour price chart. Source: CoinGecko

Founder blames lawsuit and token culture

Walters said Eliza Labs privately settled with a group of tokenholders represented by Burwick Law by agreeing to give them its remaining treasury and funds.

He called the suit “ridiculous” but said the project lacked the capital to continue fighting it.

The lawsuit, filed in April, named Eliza Labs, Walters, Sebastian Quinn-Watson and the AI16Z DAO as defendants. It alleged false advertising, deceptive practices, negligent misrepresentation and unjust enrichment.

Court records show the named plaintiff’s claims were dismissed with prejudice by stipulation on July 8, while the proposed class’s claims were dismissed without prejudice.

Cointelegraph contacted Walters and Burwick Law founder Max Burwick for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Related: Not every AI agent needs its own cryptocurrency: CZ

Walters said there were no more funds for token buybacks and no foundation or future supply intervention to support the token.

He also said he would not allow another token to be associated with Eliza while continuing to build its underlying operating system.

“I am starting over, since I own the IP, and I am never letting a token come close to Eliza again [...] I’m never going to support an Eliza token,” he wrote.

ElizaOS is an open-source framework for building and managing AI agents. The project launched in October 2024 as ai16z with an initial goal of raising $75,000 to build an autonomous investor.

In January 2025, it rebranded to ElizaOS after Andreessen Horowitz raised concerns about confusion with its a16z brand. The token was also later migrated.

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Related Questions

QWhat is the main reason for the 19% drop in ElizaOS token price?

AThe main reason for the 19% drop in the ElizaOS token price is the founder Shaw Walters declaring the token 'dead' and announcing that the Eliza Foundation was winding down, with no further support for the token.

QWhat was the peak market capitalization of the project, and under what name?

AAccording to CoinGecko, the project, then known as AI16Z, reached a peak market capitalization of $2.5 billion in January 2025.

QWhat did the lawsuit against Eliza Labs and its founders allege?

AThe lawsuit alleged false advertising, deceptive practices, negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment against Eliza Labs, Shaw Walters, Sebastian Quinn-Watson, and the AI16Z DAO.

QWhat is the future of the Eliza software according to its founder?

AAccording to founder Shaw Walters, the development of the open-source Eliza software will continue without the token or the foundation, and he will not allow another token to be associated with Eliza in the future.

QWhy did the project rebrand from ai16z to ElizaOS in January 2025?

AThe project rebranded from ai16z to ElizaOS in January 2025 after Andreessen Horowitz raised concerns about confusion with its a16z brand.

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