Strike Back: Binance Denies 20% Staff Cut Allegations, Calls It ‘FUD’

As rumors swirl and speculation mounts, Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, has forcefully denied allegations of a 20% staff cut. The exchange’s CEO, Changpeng Zhao, took to Twitter to address the issue, dismissing it as ‘FUD’ (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt).

While Zhao denied the allegations, he went ahead to express the industry’s ever-changing dynamics and the need to stay agile. Particularly, Binance emphasizes its commitment to talent optimization and cost efficiency.

Staff Cut Allegations Denied

On Wednesday, Chinese reporter Colin Wu, known for his blockchain-focused Twitter account WuBlockchain, shared a report suggesting that Binance had initiated a significant round of layoffs, amounting to approximately 20% of its workforce.

WuBlockchain’s sources claimed that around 8,000 employees were affected by these alleged job cuts. However, CEO Changpeng Zhao swiftly refuted the rumors and referred to them as ‘FUD.’

The CEO tweeted: “Another day, another FUD. On rumors of layoffs.” Zhao further addressed the issue head-on, asserting that the company operates a continuous talent optimization program, ensuring that the company maintains a strong cultural fit.

He stated that while some employees may be high performers, they may not align with the unique culture and situation of Binance, thus leading to their departure from the company. The CEO stressed that these ongoing talent optimization efforts should not be misconstrued as a predetermined percentage of staff that needs to be cut.

CZ tweeted: 

Binance has a “bottom out” (we should probably rename it to something else) program. We constantly say goodbye to people who are not strong fits with the company. This program is constant. I push for it on a weekly basis. 

Binance’s Chief Communications Officer, Patrick Hillman, also joined the conversation on Twitter, vehemently denying the alleged layoffs. Hillman highlighted the challenges faced by crypto organizations, emphasizing the need to remain adaptable and competitive in the ever-evolving cryptocurrency industry.

He described the talent density audit and resource allocation exercise that the exchange regularly undergoes, noting that it is part of the exchange’s “secret sauce.” Hillman affirmed Binance’s commitment to retaining and hiring top talent, and he emphasized the appeal that former employees hold for recruiters across the globe.

Binance Navigating Challenges

Binance, one of the leading exchanges, has been no stranger to controversies and regulatory challenges in various jurisdictions. Amid the sudden wake of the FTX crash late last year, Binance suffered major FUD as some in the crypto community expected the FTX contagion to affect the exchange.

However, the crypto exchange did not only end up standing strong after the FTX collapse but also played a key role by creating a billion-dollar worth of crypto industry funds for companies experiencing a financial run. Meanwhile, in recent months, the exchange was caught up in the continuous regulatory scrutiny of crypto.

Recently, South Korea has outlined its intention to introduce a system that enables the real-time monitoring of wallet addresses and facilitates the freezing of funds on various crypto exchanges, including Binance.

Regardless of the current negativity and regulation surrounding Binance, the exchange native token, BNB has managed to maintain composure and has not plunged as expected. Instead, BNB has only seen a 0.1% decline in the past 7 days, and a 0.7% loss in the past 24 hours with a trading price still above $300.

Featured image from Unsplash, Chart from TradingView