Consensys Cuts 20% Workforce Amid Ongoing SEC Legal Struggles

• Consensys has laid off 20% of its workforce due to regulatory and legal pressures with the SEC.
• The layoffs are part of Consensys’ strategy to streamline operations and advance its decentralized “Network State” vision.

Consensys, the developer of the MetaMask wallet, has laid off 20% of its workers, which equates to approximately 160 employees. Rising economic difficulties and significant litigation costs linked to regulatory conflicts—especially with relation to the SEC—led the corporation to make this decision.

Arguing that the SEC’s policies have greatly hampered innovation and resulted in job losses across the sector, CEO Joe Lubin has publicly attacked the agency for its attitude toward the crypto market. Lubin claims that this continuous legal battle is sapping resources and influencing chances for development.

Consensys, the developer of the crypto wallet MetaMask, announced a 20% layoff, involving approximately 160 employees, one of the reasons being the company's legal expenses in its long-running battle with regulators. https://t.co/BjBrrtUUc2

— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) October 29, 2024

Consensys Cuts Worker Amid SEC Legal Battle

Consensys is working on a larger attempt to simplify operations among regulatory uncertainty, which has landed the business in a costly legal stalemate with U.S. authorities. The layoffs fit this larger endeavor.

Consensys participated in a lawsuit against the SEC for Ethereum classification earlier this year, as we previously reported. The court dismissed their preemptive complaint, although regulatory investigation still goes on, particularly with reference to Ethereum 2.0.

This ongoing regulatory pressure, which also forces operational restructuring, has made the company’s financial difficulties worse.

Consensys is dedicated to its vision of a decentralized future, notwithstanding the challenges. Aiming to lessen dependency on centralized bodies, the business is expanding its ideas to create a distributed “Network State”.

This change aims to reduce some of the regulatory risks and quicken the long-term objectives of the business. Lubin still expects these initiatives to enable Consensys to withstand the storm and come out stronger going forward.