Acala has announced plans to permanently shut down its Polkadot network and its sister project, Karura, on Kusama, with the closure scheduled for February 10, 2027. This decision is contingent upon approval from the communities of both projects. The developers cited a lack of liquidity in the DeFi space and its fragmentation across numerous parachains as the primary reasons for the shutdown. Users are urged to withdraw their DOT, KSM, USDT, USDC, and other external assets before the deadline. Those involved in liquid staking should take action sooner, with LDOT withdrawals needing to be completed by January 12 and LKSM by February 2. If LDOT tokens are staked with a validator, users must initiate the unlocking process by December 16. The native tokens ACA and KAR will remain in their respective networks, as they cannot be withdrawn.