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Vendor Lock-In

Definition

Vendor lock-in describes a situation where a customer becomes dependent on a particular vendor’s products or services and cannot easily switch to another vendor without incurring substantial costs, effort, or operational disruption. In the digital asset and blockchain space, this can occur when a project builds heavily on a specific proprietary protocol, smart contract standard, or infrastructure provider. It limits flexibility and can hinder innovation. This dependence creates barriers to exit.