As an analyst with years of experience in the cryptocurrency sector, I find myself intrigued by Foundry Digital’s recent decision to streamline its operations and focus on core businesses. The layoff of 74 employees, while undoubtedly a tough call for the company, seems to reflect a strategic shift towards prioritizing profitability over expansion.


This week, it appears that Foundry Digital, a well-known Bitcoin mining pool, reduced its workforce by 27%. A total of 74 employees were affected by this move. The reduction in staffing is aimed at focusing on essential operations such as the management of its Bitcoin mining pool and site operations. This action comes after internal reorganization within Foundry’s parent company, Digital Currency Group (DCG).

Mike Coyler, the CEO, shared that the company is concentrating on its primary business areas to bolster its standing in the market. In line with this change, they have downplayed their emphasis on custom hardware projects, although they continue to offer their ASIC repair services.

Foundry Cuts Jobs

As per the recent report by Blockspace, the layoffs were coupled with relocating 20 employees from Foundry to Yuma, a decentralized AI startup that originated from Foundry’s internal Bittensor project. Now, Yuma functions as an autonomous entity under Digital Currency Group (DCG) and is led by CEO Barry Silbert. The leadership at Foundry characterized these changes as part of their plan to optimize operations and redefine their focus on key business areas such as their primary Bitcoin mining pool and site management.

Currently, Foundry contributes about one-third of the overall hash rate across the Bitcoin network. According to Digital Currency Group’s Q3 2024 shareholder letter, its self-mining operations are projected to bring in approximately $80 million in revenue for the year 2024. Simultaneously, other business ventures like repair services for ASICs and the development of decentralized artificial intelligence infrastructure continue to function.

In a statement, the company claimed,

Recently, we chose to concentrate Foundry primarily on its main operations and aid in the growth of DCG’s latest affiliates. This restructuring led us to a tough choice: reducing the workforce at Foundry, which unfortunately resulted in job cuts across various departments.

Navigating Troubled Waters

The reductions in workforce occur during a more extensive period of difficulties for DCG, as they strive to restore their business functions post-bankruptcy of their lending branch, Genesis, which was affected by the collapse of FTX.

Last April, I found myself adjusting my investment approach with Foundry, as they shifted from a free service model to a subscription-based one, signifying a notable shift in their business strategy amidst financial hurdles.

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2024-12-04 20:32