The largest non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace by trade volume, Opensea, has announced the company has let 20% of its staff go after CEO Devin Finzer said the layoffs were due to a combination of “crypto winter and broad macroeconomic instability.” Opensea’s decision follows the startup surpassing $31 billion in all-time NFT sales volume, and the company adding a variety of new support features.
Opensea CEO Reveals Company Layoffs
Opensea has joined the increasing number of cryptocurrency asset companies that announced layoffs for this year. The crypto market slump has affected almost every sector of the industry. On July 14, 2022, Devin Finzer, Opensea’s chief executive officer, explained the company had a “hard day,” after it had to let go around 20% of the firm’s workforce. Finzer shared the notes he had written to Opensea staff members prior to announcing layoffs via twitter.
Finzer’s note to the team says that management had to make an “incredibly sad and difficult decision,” and the statement highlighted the fact that the industry was dealing with a demanding “crypto winter.” Finzer added that Opensea needs “to prepare the company for the possibility of a prolonged downturn.” The CEO explained that the changes will help the company continue strong with “multiple years of runway.”
It comes as a number of blockchain and tech businesses are laying off thousands of people. Meta stated last week that they were slowing their hiring process. They also hinted at possible future layoffs. Multiple firms such as Bitso (Robinhood), Coinbase, Gemini and 2TM have already announced layoffs. The Austrian exchange Bitpanda detailed that it had to let staff go in order to “navigate the storm and get out of it financially healthy.”
Although many cryptocurrency companies have let their employees go, the industry still has a lot of jobs in digital currencies and blockchain. Yi He, Binance’s co-founder and CEO, told Fortune this weekend that there are still jobs at the company. “We currently have more than 2,000 roles open from engineers, product, marketing to business development,” Yi He said. “The crypto space is still in its early stages, and bull markets tend to care more about price while bear markets have more value-conscious teams that continue to build the industry. We see this as a great time to bring on top talent,” the Binance co-founder noted.
Opensea Executive Says NFT Marketplace Is in a ‘Strong Position to Continue Driving the Space Forward’
Opensea’s Finzer continued to compliment the employees that were leaving on Thursday in his Twitter thread. “The folks leaving us are smart, hardworking, mission-driven individuals who’ve played an immeasurable role in growing OpenSea and the NFT space to where we are today,” the CEO wrote. “We will miss them and they will forever be part of our story and community.” Finzer’s Twitter thread highlighted that the CEO still had an “immense conviction in the NFT space,” and he further noted that Opensea had a role to play in the growing sector.
“During this winter, we’ll see an explosion in innovation across the ecosystem,” Finzer remarked. “And with the changes we’ve made, we’re in a strong position to continue driving the space forward.”
Prior to the company’s layoffs, data shows that Opensea has recorded a total of $31.29 billion in all-time NFT sales volume. Opensea added Solana network (SOL) support to its NFT marketplace in April. Moonpay also announced during that month that Opensea NFTs can be purchased with Apple Pay or credit cards. Opensea announced that it had secured $300 million in funding during the January 2022 week. Dharma Labs was later acquired by the company. Unknown is the exact number of Opensea employees who were fired.
Opensea’s Finzer added that the leading NFT marketplace is focused on its goals. “When the global economy is uncertain, our mission to build a foundational layer for new, peer-to-peer economies feels more urgent and important than ever,” Finzer concluded.
What do you think about Opensea laying off 20% of the company’s staff? Comment below to share your views.
Images Credit: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, Editorial photograph credit: Diego Thomazini / Shutterstock.com
DisclaimerThis information is provided for educational purposes only. This article is not intended to be a solicitation or offer to sell or buy any product, service, or company. Bitcoin.com is not a provider of investment, tax, legal or accounting advice. The author and the company are not responsible for any loss or damage caused by the content or use of any goods, services, or information mentioned in the article.