Coinbase Latest Crypto Firm To Cut Costs Amid Market Downturn

Coinbase is hoping to weather the current market downturn by pursuing cost-cutting measures including a freeze on new hires

article-image

Source: Nasdaq

share

key takeaways

  • Coinbase is the latest crypto giant to join the ranks of others seeking to cut costs to operations
  • The exchange provider is citing macroeconomic factors and a shrinking crypto market as reasons for its move

Coinbase said Thursday it was pausing hiring efforts and rescinding a number of accepted employment offers as it squares off with challenging macroeconomic conditions and a downturn in the crypto market.

In a company post penned by Chief People Officer L.J. Brock, Coinbase has decided to take more “stringent measures” to slow its headcount growth in hopes of navigating uncertain waters.

The exchange provider joins a growing number of crypto companies pursuing similar cost-cutting measures amid shrinking profit margins and capital.

Also Thursday, Winklevoss-founded exchange Gemini said it was axing 10% of its staff, citing crypto’s current “contraction phase” that’s now “settling into a period of stasis.” In April, Seychelles-registered exchange BitMEX also did away with roughly a quarter of its workforce, while Latin America’s Bitso shed 11%.

Alongside the hiring freeze, Coinbase said it would rescind offers previously granted to “talented people” yet to start their positions with the company, offering a “severance philosophy” to offset financial loss.

“On our Q1 earnings call, we discussed that headcount and a variety of other expenses are the key ways for us to manage our costs,” Brock said in the post. “While we did not make this decision lightly, it is the prudent one given market conditions.”

The executive also said that while Coinbase always knew crypto would be volatile, current conditions coupled with “larger economic factors” may yet test the company and its personnel.

While market downturns are not uncommon — the industry most recently experienced similar conditions in 2018 through to 2020 — the current slump of capital inflows and investor sentiment has forced companies to pause and consider.

Coinbase, Brock said, is hoping to weather the storm by remaining flexible and resilient in the face of uncertainty.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Brooklyn, NY

SUN - MON, JUN. 22 - 23, 2025

Blockworks and Cracked Labs are teaming up for the third installment of the Permissionless Hackathon, happening June 22–23, 2025 in Brooklyn, NY. This is a 36-hour IRL builder sprint where developers, designers, and creatives ship real projects solving real problems across […]

recent research

Research Report Templates (19).png

Research

Suilend has grown into the top money market and liquid staking provider on Sui. STEAMM, Suilend’s Superfluid AMM, presents a compelling avenue for growing market share within Sui’s DEX landscape and revenue generation for the protocol. Suilend’s multi-product suite position it well for owning market share across key verticals. While current metrics across the Sui ecosystem are likely inflated due to Sui Foundation incentive programs, SEND trades at amongst the lowest multiples in the lend/borrow sector, suggesting that a bull case for continued growth in the ecosystem may be mispriced.

article-image

The best capital markets are open to the most people — and crypto capital markets are open to everyone

article-image

Post-conference musings on Firedancer, Kraken, Solana Mobile and Trump

article-image

Executives expect others to follow SharpLink Gaming’s lead in purchasing an asset that has surged this past month

article-image

After a weekend of tariff policy shifts, investors appear confident that trade deals are underway

article-image

Multiple rounds of prior audits did not catch the flaw, the DEX said

article-image

StarkWare launches new consumer-grade hardware ZK prover