Bitmain Reportedly Sacks Entire BCH Client Development Team

Monday, 24/12/2018 | 08:48 GMT by Arnab Shome
  • The firm is rumored to be planning to cut 50 percent of its workforce in the coming week.
Bitmain Reportedly Sacks Entire BCH Client Development Team
Bitmain bitcoin mining farm (Reuters)

Beijing-based Bitcoin mining giant Bitmain has laid off its entire Copernicus team, which was working on the development of Bitcoin Cash client, according to a tweet by Blockstream Chief Strategy Officer and former BTCC Chief Operational Officer Samson Mow.

The news surfaced as rumors were already going on in the crypto market that the Bitcoin mining hardware giant is already planning to lay off 50 percent of its staffers.

Bitmain has nearly 2000 employees, and such a sudden layoff will definitely put a dent on the crypto industry.

Tough Business Decisions

Although not officially confirmed, it is very likely that the falling prices of Bitcoin have pushed the company to take such a drastic step. Moreover, the plunge of Bitcoin Cash since November also affected the firm as it has a substantial holding of the coin. The firm is also struggling with its upcoming IPO in the falling market, which was considered to be a lucrative one earlier.

Layoffs Becoming a Norm?

However, Bitmain is not the sole company to have taken such a drastic step amid the market turmoil. US-headquartered ConsenSys laid off 100 employees - nearly 10 percent of its workforce - earlier this month and is reportedly eyeing for further layoffs.

Status, an Ethereum-based mobile app developer, has officially announced that the company would be cutting 25 percent of its workforce (around 25 employees). The startup’s cofounder Jarrad Hope, in a town hall meeting, detailed that the company’s decision was fueled by its diminishing war-chest and also urged employees to take pay cuts.

Another Blockchain company called Steemit also joined this race and reduced about 70 percent of its working employees. Steemit CEO Ned Scott took to his personal YouTube channel to convey this tragic news.

Although these companies are only taking hard business decisions to stay in business, blockchain firms like ETCDEV were forced to shut their doors this year amid the market crash.

Beijing-based Bitcoin mining giant Bitmain has laid off its entire Copernicus team, which was working on the development of Bitcoin Cash client, according to a tweet by Blockstream Chief Strategy Officer and former BTCC Chief Operational Officer Samson Mow.

The news surfaced as rumors were already going on in the crypto market that the Bitcoin mining hardware giant is already planning to lay off 50 percent of its staffers.

Bitmain has nearly 2000 employees, and such a sudden layoff will definitely put a dent on the crypto industry.

Tough Business Decisions

Although not officially confirmed, it is very likely that the falling prices of Bitcoin have pushed the company to take such a drastic step. Moreover, the plunge of Bitcoin Cash since November also affected the firm as it has a substantial holding of the coin. The firm is also struggling with its upcoming IPO in the falling market, which was considered to be a lucrative one earlier.

Layoffs Becoming a Norm?

However, Bitmain is not the sole company to have taken such a drastic step amid the market turmoil. US-headquartered ConsenSys laid off 100 employees - nearly 10 percent of its workforce - earlier this month and is reportedly eyeing for further layoffs.

Status, an Ethereum-based mobile app developer, has officially announced that the company would be cutting 25 percent of its workforce (around 25 employees). The startup’s cofounder Jarrad Hope, in a town hall meeting, detailed that the company’s decision was fueled by its diminishing war-chest and also urged employees to take pay cuts.

Another Blockchain company called Steemit also joined this race and reduced about 70 percent of its working employees. Steemit CEO Ned Scott took to his personal YouTube channel to convey this tragic news.

Although these companies are only taking hard business decisions to stay in business, blockchain firms like ETCDEV were forced to shut their doors this year amid the market crash.

About the Author: Arnab Shome
Arnab Shome
  • 6654 Articles
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About the Author: Arnab Shome
Arnab is an electronics engineer-turned-financial editor. He entered the industry covering the cryptocurrency market for Finance Magnates and later expanded his reach to forex as well. He is passionate about the changing regulatory landscape on financial markets and keenly follows the disruptions in the industry with new-age technologies.
  • 6654 Articles
  • 102 Followers

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