What is Koi Finance (KOI) crypto coin? The truth about a dead DeFi project on zkSync

KOI Value Calculator

Calculate Your KOI Value

See how much your KOI holdings have lost since the peak price

Koi Finance (KOI) is not a thriving crypto project. It’s a ghost. Launched as a DeFi platform on zkSync Era, KOI was meant to be a one-stop hub for swapping, farming, and bonding tokens with near-zero fees. But today, it has $0 in daily trading volume, only 201 holders, and no active development. If you’re wondering whether KOI is worth your time, the answer is simple: it’s not.

What Koi Finance was supposed to be

Koi Finance started as Mute Protocol, a DeFi project built on zkSync, Ethereum’s Layer 2 scaling solution. In April 2024, the team rebranded to Koi Finance and swapped MUTE tokens for KOI at a rate of 1 MUTE to 12.5 KOI. The goal? To create a faster, cheaper, and more flexible decentralized exchange on zkSync.

Technically, it had potential. Koi offered two types of liquidity pools: concentrated (like Uniswap V3) and standard (like Uniswap V2). It let users place limit orders, stake tokens for higher yields, and even buy bonds to earn rewards. A standout feature? You could pay gas fees in any token you held-no need for ETH. Transactions claimed to finish in under a second, thanks to zkRollup tech.

The interface was clean. The team had real blockchain experience-they built the first Bitcoin-to-UTXO atomic swap and worked on Zerocoin privacy tech. But none of that mattered if no one used it.

Why KOI crashed harder than the rest of crypto

When KOI launched, zkSync was already crowded. SyncSwap controlled nearly 70% of the DEX market on zkSync. SpaceFi, zkSwap, and others were growing fast. Koi Finance didn’t offer anything new enough to steal users.

Its price peaked at $0.09344 on April 23, 2024-the same day it rebranded. Since then, it’s lost 99.16% of its value. As of November 14, 2025, KOI traded at $0.0007693. That’s not a market dip. That’s a collapse.

Why? Because no one was trading it. CoinMarketCap reports $0 in 24-hour volume. No one’s buying. No one’s selling. Even the official website shows no live trades. The token’s market cap is just $393,000, while its fully diluted value (if all 1 billion tokens were in circulation) is $786,000. That means over half the supply is locked up, unused, and worthless.

Who still holds KOI-and why

There are only 201 wallet addresses holding KOI. For comparison, Uniswap has over 1.2 million holders. SyncSwap, a zkSync rival, has tens of thousands. Koi’s tiny holder count isn’t accidental. It’s a sign of total abandonment.

Most of these 201 holders are likely early investors who never sold after the rebrand. Or maybe bots. There’s no community behind it. No active Discord. No Telegram group. No recent Reddit posts. The official Twitter account (@koi_finance) has 4,200 followers-less than 10% of what SyncSwap has.

Even the project’s GitHub repo hasn’t seen a meaningful update since March 2024. No new code. No bug fixes. No features. The team vanished.

An empty liquidity pool interface flickers on a cracked screen as a hesitant hand reaches toward it.

The rebrand that didn’t save anything

The switch from Mute to Koi wasn’t a fresh start. It was a last gasp. Mute Protocol had already lost most of its users and liquidity before the rebrand. Swapping tokens at a 1:12.5 ratio didn’t create value-it just diluted it further.

There was no marketing push. No partnerships. No influencers promoting it. No press coverage from major outlets like Messari or Delphi Digital. No analyst reports. No exchange listings beyond tiny, low-liquidity ones.

Rebranding doesn’t fix a broken product. It just changes the name on a tombstone.

Can you still use Koi Finance today?

Technically, yes. You can connect your wallet to the Koi Finance website and try to swap KOI for other tokens on zkSync. But here’s the catch: there’s no liquidity. No one’s trading. So if you try to sell your KOI, you won’t find a buyer. If you try to buy, you’ll see empty pools.

Even if you had KOI, you couldn’t earn meaningful yields. Farming rewards dried up because no one’s depositing tokens. Bonding programs stopped because no one’s participating. The entire ecosystem is frozen.

And forget about developer tools. There’s no API. No documentation. No SDK. No tutorials. If you’re a developer looking to build on Koi, there’s nothing to build on.

How Koi Finance compares to real zkSync DEXs

Here’s what real DeFi projects on zkSync look like in 2025:

Koi Finance vs Top zkSync DEXs (2025)
Feature Koi Finance (KOI) SyncSwap SpaceFi
24-hour trading volume $0 $50M+ $15M+
Active users (est.) 0 50,000+ 20,000+
Token holders 201 50,000+ 30,000+
Development activity None since March 2024 Weekly updates Weekly updates
Community channels Inactive Active Discord, Telegram Active Discord, Telegram
Price (Nov 2025) $0.00077 $0.12 $0.08

Koi Finance doesn’t just lose to these projects-it doesn’t even register as competition. SyncSwap and SpaceFi have real users, real volume, and real teams building daily. Koi is a shell.

A digital graveyard with a KOI tombstone under a stormy sky, while thriving DeFi projects glow in the distance.

Is KOI a good investment?

No. Not even close.

Investing in KOI today is like buying shares in a company that shut down its factory, fired its staff, and deleted its website. The token has no utility, no liquidity, and no future.

Some might argue, “It’s cheap-what’s the risk?” But the risk isn’t losing money. The risk is wasting time, holding an asset that can’t be sold, and getting caught up in a dead project’s ghost story.

There’s no recovery path. No roadmap. No team announcement. No news. The market has spoken: KOI is dead.

What happened to the team?

The original developers behind Mute/Koi had solid credentials. They built advanced ZK tech before. That makes their failure more puzzling.

But technical skill doesn’t guarantee success in DeFi. You need community. You need marketing. You need trust. You need to outlast the competition.

Koi Finance had none of that. The team disappeared after the rebrand. No updates. No explanations. No apologies. Just silence.

It’s a lesson: even the smartest teams can fail if they ignore the human side of crypto.

Final verdict: KOI is a cautionary tale

Koi Finance isn’t a crypto coin you should research, buy, or hold. It’s a case study in how not to build a DeFi project.

It had the tech. It had the timing. It had the team. But it had no users. No trust. No momentum. And in crypto, that’s fatal.

If you’re exploring zkSync, stick with SyncSwap, SpaceFi, or other projects with real volume, active teams, and communities. Avoid anything with $0 trading volume and fewer than 500 holders. They’re not hidden gems-they’re digital graves.

Is Koi Finance (KOI) still active?

No. Koi Finance has been effectively abandoned since mid-2024. There’s been no development activity on its GitHub since March 2024, no updates to its website, and zero trading volume on all exchanges. The team has not made any public statements since the rebrand.

Can I trade KOI on Coinbase or Binance?

No. KOI is not listed on any major exchange like Coinbase, Binance, or Kraken. It only exists on tiny, low-liquidity DEXs on zkSync, and even there, no one is trading it. You can’t buy or sell it meaningfully.

Why did Koi Finance fail when zkSync was growing?

Koi Finance failed because it didn’t differentiate itself enough from stronger competitors like SyncSwap and SpaceFi. Even though it had good tech, it lacked marketing, community building, and consistent development. While zkSync’s total value locked hit $1.2 billion in 2024, Koi captured 0% of that growth.

What happened to the MUTE tokens?

All MUTE tokens were swapped for KOI at a 1:12.5 ratio in April 2024. The old MUTE token was discontinued. The swap didn’t revive interest-it just turned a dying project into a dead one with a new name.

Should I buy KOI because it’s cheap?

Absolutely not. A low price doesn’t mean a good investment. KOI has no liquidity, no demand, and no future. Buying it means locking up funds you’ll never be able to sell. It’s not a bargain-it’s a trap.

23 Comments

  • Image placeholder

    Shanell Nelly

    November 16, 2025 AT 01:34

    Koi Finance is a perfect example of how tech alone doesn't win in DeFi. You need community, marketing, and consistency. SyncSwap didn't have the fanciest tech, but they showed up every day. Koi vanished after the rebrand. Sad, but predictable.

    Always remember: if the team stops talking, the project is already dead.

  • Image placeholder

    Aayansh Singh

    November 17, 2025 AT 11:22

    Wow another crypto graveyard autopsy. Did you even check the on-chain data or just copy-paste from CoinGecko? 201 holders? That's not dead that's just pre-mined for whales. The real story is the 800M KOI tokens locked in vesting. This isn't dead-it's sleeping with a giant pile of cash. Wait till the unlock schedule hits.

  • Image placeholder

    Rebecca Amy

    November 17, 2025 AT 23:10

    lol at people still talking about KOI 😅

  • Image placeholder

    Darren Jones

    November 18, 2025 AT 00:50

    Just want to say-this breakdown is spot-on. Every point is backed by data, and the comparison table? Chef's kiss. I’ve seen so many people get lured in by ‘cheap tokens’-this is exactly the kind of post that saves someone from losing months of their life chasing ghosts.

    Thank you for taking the time to lay this out. Seriously.

    Also, if you’re reading this and thinking ‘but what if it rebounds?’-ask yourself: what’s the catalyst? No team. No updates. No liquidity. No reason. It’s not a gamble. It’s a funeral.

  • Image placeholder

    Kathleen Bauer

    November 18, 2025 AT 18:24

    so like
 if i bought KOI at $0.01 and now it’s $0.0007
 is that like a 93% loss or just
 i dunno
 a vibe check? đŸ€·â€â™€ïž

    also why does this feel like a 2021 meme coin but with more charts?

  • Image placeholder

    Carol Rice

    November 19, 2025 AT 01:41

    THIS IS WHY YOU DON’T TRUST ‘TECHNICAL EXPERTS’ WHO IGNORE THE HUMAN SIDE OF CRYPTO!

    They built a beautiful machine
 and then left it in the middle of a desert with no gas, no map, and no water. The team had the brains. They had the pedigree. But they forgot one thing: crypto isn’t built by engineers-it’s built by believers.

    SyncSwap didn’t have better code. They had better vibes. Better memes. Better Discord mods. Better community calls. Koi? They ghosted. And now? They’re a footnote in a blockchain graveyard.

    Don’t be the next Koi. Build with heart. Or don’t build at all.

  • Image placeholder

    Laura Lauwereins

    November 19, 2025 AT 15:06

    Interesting how the same people who scream ‘decentralization!’ when a project fails are the first to cry when their portfolio loses 99%.

    It’s not the tech that failed. It’s the fantasy. We all wanted to believe Koi was the next big thing. But the market doesn’t care about your hopes.

    Rest in peace, KOI. You had potential. You just didn’t have people.

  • Image placeholder

    Gaurang Kulkarni

    November 21, 2025 AT 03:42

    KOI is not dead it is just in sleep mode the team is waiting for zkSync to reach 10B TVL then they will come back with new features and airdrop for old holders this is a long term play dont be fooled by the volume numbers the real value is in the code not the price

  • Image placeholder

    Nidhi Gaur

    November 21, 2025 AT 06:03

    bro i bought KOI at 0.02 and now its 0.0007 but i still believe in it like its my crypto baby đŸ„ș

    also the devs are just taking a break they’re building something bigger i swear

  • Image placeholder

    Usnish Guha

    November 21, 2025 AT 21:57

    People who still hold KOI are either delusional or part of a rug pull scheme. There is no third option. This isn't a market correction it's a corpse. If you're still defending this you're not an investor you're a cult member

  • Image placeholder

    satish gedam

    November 23, 2025 AT 01:19

    Hey everyone I know it hurts to see your KOI tokens drop but remember-every great project starts with a struggle. This isn't the end it's just the beginning of a comeback story. Stay strong. Keep your bags. The community will rise again. I believe in you and in KOI. đŸ’Ș✹

    Let's keep the faith and share this post with others who need hope. You're not alone in this journey.

  • Image placeholder

    rahul saha

    November 24, 2025 AT 19:25

    It's ironic isn't it? The project built on ZK tech to enable privacy and efficiency
 yet the team itself became the ultimate opacity. A paradox wrapped in a whitepaper. KOI didn’t fail because of competition-it failed because it forgot the existential truth of crypto: trust is the only liquidity that matters. And they burned theirs at the altar of vanity metrics and rebranding theatrics.

  • Image placeholder

    Marcia Birgen

    November 25, 2025 AT 10:52

    Wow. This is such a good reminder that we don’t need another ‘next big thing.’ We need projects that stick around. That show up. That answer DMs. That update their docs. That care.

    KOI had the tech. But it didn’t have the heart. And in crypto? Heart wins every time.

    Shoutout to the author for writing this with so much clarity. I’m sharing this with my whole crypto group. Thank you.

  • Image placeholder

    Jerrad Kyle

    November 27, 2025 AT 04:09

    This is the kind of post that makes me proud to be part of this community. No hype. No fluff. Just cold, hard, beautifully written truth.

    And the table? Perfect. It doesn’t just show KOI is dead-it shows how the rest of zkSync is ALIVE. SyncSwap and SpaceFi aren’t just winning-they’re setting the standard. And that’s what matters.

    For anyone still holding KOI: I’m not judging. But please, go learn how to use a blockchain explorer. Check the contract activity. See the zero transactions. Then ask yourself: am I holding a token
 or a memory?

  • Image placeholder

    Usama Ahmad

    November 27, 2025 AT 14:28

    yeah i had some KOI too but i just moved it to a cold wallet and forgot about it

    no regrets just kinda funny to see it still on my list

  • Image placeholder

    Nathan Ross

    November 28, 2025 AT 06:55

    While the empirical data presented is incontrovertible, one must consider the possibility that the cessation of development activity does not necessarily equate to abandonment. It may instead represent a strategic realignment, a period of consolidation, or even a transition to a non-public development phase. The absence of public communication does not constitute proof of termination.

  • Image placeholder

    garrett goggin

    November 29, 2025 AT 07:18

    Of course it’s dead. You think this was a real project? Nah. This was a pump disguised as DeFi. The ‘team’? Probably a bunch of guys in a basement with a Discord bot and a fake GitHub. The rebrand? A classic exit scam. They swapped MUTE to KOI, drained the liquidity pool, and vanished. The 201 holders? Bots. The ‘wallets’? Burn addresses with fake balances. This isn’t a failure. It’s a crime.

    And the fact that people still defend it? That’s the real horror story.

  • Image placeholder

    Bill Henry

    November 29, 2025 AT 18:19

    imagine putting all your money into a project that just
 stopped talking. like literally no updates for over a year. i feel bad for anyone who still has this. but also
 you kinda knew it was sketchy right? đŸ€”

    at least now you know to check the github first next time

  • Image placeholder

    Jess Zafarris

    November 29, 2025 AT 20:46

    Interesting how the market’s verdict is so clear yet people still cling to ‘maybe it’ll bounce.’

    It’s not about price. It’s about signal. No updates. No liquidity. No community. That’s not a ‘bear market’-that’s a tombstone with a ticker symbol.

    And yet
 I still see people buying KOI on DEXs. Why? Is it hope? Nostalgia? Or just the same old FOMO dressed up as ‘value investing’?

  • Image placeholder

    jesani amit

    December 1, 2025 AT 18:44

    Look I know it hurts to lose money on KOI but trust me I’ve been there. I held MUTE too. But here’s the thing-crypto is not a casino. It’s a learning experience. You didn’t lose money. You paid for a lesson. Now you know to look at the team’s activity, not just the price chart. You know to check the GitHub. You know to ask: is anyone even talking about this anymore?

    That’s worth more than any token. Keep going. You’re getting smarter. And that’s the real win.

  • Image placeholder

    Peter Rossiter

    December 2, 2025 AT 15:38

    KOI is dead. Move on.

  • Image placeholder

    Jay Davies

    December 2, 2025 AT 22:44

    Actually, the 1:12.5 swap ratio was mathematically catastrophic. If MUTE was trading at $0.0075 before the rebrand, then KOI should have launched at $0.0006. But it launched at $0.09. That’s a 150x artificial inflation. The entire tokenomics were designed to create a short-term pump, not sustainable value.

    And the fact that the team didn’t even bother to update the token’s contract to reflect the new supply? That’s not negligence. That’s fraud. The 1 billion supply wasn’t ‘fully diluted’-it was a trapdoor.

  • Image placeholder

    Carol Rice

    December 4, 2025 AT 14:48

    That’s the real kicker. They didn’t just fail-they manipulated. They took people who believed in Mute, told them ‘this is a fresh start,’ and then inflated the supply like it was a birthday cake. And now the people who held on? They’re holding a balloon that’s been popped.

    It’s not a cautionary tale. It’s a warning label with teeth.

Write a comment