Ava Labs lays off 12% of staff to reallocate resources
Ava Labs founder Emin Gün Sirer announced a strategic workforce reduction at the company on Nov. 6, citing the need to reallocate resources.
Gün Sirer announced the decision on X, noting that the layoff affects 12% of the company’s workforce to “reallocate resources to double down on the growth of our firm and the Avalanche ecosystem.”
Gün Sirer wrote further:
Bear markets are difficult to navigate. Ava Labs is fortunate to have significant runway and resources at our disposal, and we will be focusing those resources on advancing the Avalanche ecosystem for years to come.
Ava Labs launched the Avalanche (AVAX) blockchain on mainnet in 2020 as a platform for launching DeFi protocols and other trading services.
Ava Labs’ VP of Growth Garrison Yang praised the team for its instrumental role in various projects, writing:
“These people who brought you Summit, the people who carved out our leadership position in enterprise blockchain, and the people who help build the foundation for the hundreds of successful projects that build in our ecosystem… These people have helped Avalanche navigate multiple industry blow ups, a bear market, and countless other challenges.”
This development at Ava Labs is not an isolated incident but part of a larger trend of workforce reduction in the crypto space. Similarly, NFT marketplace OpenSea saw a substantial layoff during their transition to OpenSea 2.0, which resulted in a 50% workforce cut. OpenSea’s CEO, Devin Finzer, echoed Sirer’s sentiments, expressing appreciation for the contributions of the laid-off employees and emphasizing the need for a more agile structure to stay competitive.
As the crypto market continues its dynamic shifts, companies like Ava Labs and OpenSea are adapting their strategies and resources to navigate these changes. While such workforce reductions can be disconcerting, they are often a part of the process of evolution and growth within the ever-evolving crypto industry. As both companies have expressed, the value these employees have added to their respective firms is immeasurable, and their contribution to the advancement of the crypto space continues to be highly appreciated.
