KuCoin Dismisses Reports of Massive 30% Staff Cuts, Labels It as 'Evaluation'

<p>Following the
announcement of significant job cuts by Binance, KuCoin was expected to join
the ranks of major cryptocurrency exchanges reducing their workforce. According
to reports by Wu Blockchain yesterday (Tuesday), the company was preparing to
lay off about 30% of its staff, or 300 people.</p><p>However,
the exchange's CEO, Johnny Lyu, denied these reports on the same day,
dismissing them as mere rumors. He admitted that while the exchange continues
to grow, any potential cuts are part of everyday business in the rapidly
changing crypto industry.</p><p>KuCoin Denies Mass Layoffs</p><p>The
cryptocurrency winter of 2022 significantly impacted the digital asset space.
After the pandemic boom and achieving record prices in 2021, user activity
began to decline along with the decreasing value of Bitcoin (BTC) and altcoins.
As a result, several cryptocurrency exchanges had to start cutting costs and
reducing the workforce that had expanded since 2020.</p><p>For
example, the Winklevoss billionaire brothers' exchange, Gemini, <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/third-times-the-charm-gemini-cuts-its-workforce-once-again/" target="_blank" rel="follow">has made cuts</a>
to its staff three times already. <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/binance-fired-over-1000-employees-in-recent-weeksreport/" target="_blank" rel="follow">Mass layoffs exceeding 1,000 people were also
reported at Binance</a>. The information about cuts at KuCoin cited three different
company employees and seemed to fit into recent cost-saving trends.</p><p>"The
main reason is that the strict KYC policy was launched after being sued by the
United States, which led to a decline in the exchange's profits," Wu
Blockchain explained the move.</p><blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SCOOP: Following Binance, cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin will lay off 30% of its workforce. Confirmed by more than three internal employees. KuCoin has nearly 1,000 employees. The main reason is that the strict KYC policy was launched after being sued by the United States, which…</p>— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) <a href="https://twitter.com/WuBlockchain/status/1683821842447106048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2023</a></blockquote><p>KuCoin's CEO
commented on the reports in less than two hours, stating that these were
rumors and that the exchange "is operating smoothly." In the first
half of 2023, it increased the number of users and listings and focused on
gradual staff expansion.</p><p>However,
Lyu admitted that the cryptocurrency industry is changing rapidly. Therefore,
the exchange regularly assesses its organizational structure based on
employees' performance.</p><p>"So it
is not layoffs, and it is all about making the organization more dynamic and
competitive," Lyu commented.</p><blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">3/ The crypto world changes fast. To stay on top, we regularly evaluate our org structure based on employee performance and company development. So it is not layoffs, and it is all about making the organization more dynamic and competitive.</p>— Johnny_KuCoin (@lyu_johnny) <a href="https://twitter.com/lyu_johnny/status/1683837200402890756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2023</a></blockquote><p>It should
be noted that KuCoin's CEO did not deny that the exchange is indeed letting
people go. He simply didn't call the current actions mass layoffs.</p><p>The Cryptocurrency
Industry Faces Problems</p><p>Although
KuCoin claims not to be terminating 30% of its staff, such moves have become
commonplace in the cryptocurrency industry in recent times. Not long ago,
ConsenSys, a company involved in cryptocurrency software, <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/consensys-joins-crypto-layoffs-with-11-workforce-cut/" target="_blank" rel="follow">confirmed its plans
to reduce 11% of its current workforce</a>, which numbered at nearly 100 positions.</p><p>Similar
plans were announced by Coinbase, <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/binance-hires-when-coinbase-cuts-employment-amidst-crypto-winter/" target="_blank" rel="follow">intending to lay off about 20%, or 950
people</a>. Last year, Blockchain.com, a cryptocurrency exchange based in Luxembourg, decided
to reduce its workforce <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/mass-layoff-continues-as-blockchaincom-sheds-25-of-workforce/" target="_blank" rel="follow">by 25%</a>.</p><p>In 2023,
the value of Bitcoin increased by over 60%, and the total market capitalization
of this digital asset exceeded $1 billion. However, the question remains
whether this will be enough for the industry to forget about the shock caused
by the collapse of FTX and the Terra ecosystem last year. Especially since user
activity and market depth currently remain low.</p>

This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.