BlockBeats News, January 23rd: Addressing recent market rumors, Farcaster founder Dan Romero posted a clarification stating that Farcaster has not shut down. The protocol is currently running smoothly and will continue to operate in the future. Data shows that Farcaster had approximately 250,000 Monthly Active Users (MAU) in December 2025, with over 100,000 funded on-chain wallet addresses.
Romero stated that Farcaster’s acquirer, Neynar, is a venture-backed startup that plans to take Farcaster in a more developer-centric direction in the future, rather than discontinuing the project.
Furthermore, Romero mentioned his other project, Merkle, revealing that the team has decided to fully refund the $180 million raised to investors. He mentioned that over the past five years, the team has consistently aimed to be a responsible steward of investor funds.
Romero also clarified that the funds used to purchase real estate came from the proceeds of the Coinbase IPO, addressing speculation from the public.
