Key Highlights
- Dune cut 25% of its staff as part of a restructuring focused on its main data products.
- The company is shifting its strategy toward AI tools and serving big financial institutions moving onchain.
- The layoffs are part of a wider trend in crypto and tech, where companies are cutting jobs while increasing AI use.
Dune, an on-chain data platform, has laid off 25% of its workforce as part of a major restructuring announced this week.
In a post on X on Thursday, Co-Founder and CEO Fredrik Haga explained that the current goal of the company is to focus more on its main data products used across the crypto industry.
“We’re restructuring Dune to sharpen our focus around the core data products thousands of customers across the crypto industry rely on,” Haga wrote, adding that 25% of staff were let go this week.
Focusing on core data products
Haga highlighted Dune MCP, a new AI-powered system that allows users and AI agents to create dashboards and work with data without needing to know SQL or complex data systems. According to him, this reflects Dune’s push to make AI a core part of its data tools while simplifying how users interact with blockchain data.
He added that the firm is focusing on two main areas. First is artificial intelligence, which is being added to its tools to make data easier to use. Second is the rise of institutions entering blockchain markets. These include traditional finance players that deal with things like stocks, bonds, and commodities, which are slowly moving onto blockchain networks. Dune says it is investing more in services that can support these large organizations.
Even with the job cuts, Haga said the company is still financially strong and has enough funding to continue its plans.
Wider industry shift toward AI
Dune joins a growing number of crypto and tech companies that have reduced staff while expanding their use of AI tools. Earlier this year, Block, led by Jack Dorsey, cut a large number of jobs, citing that AI helped workers do more with less staff. Crypto.com also reduced its workforce, pointing to similar efficiency gains from AI.
Moreover, Coinbase and Gemini have both trimmed jobs during restructuring phases. Some critics have argued that AI is being wrongly used to justify this layoff, while others see it as a genuine shift in how companies operate.
Haga said the company has gone through many market ups and downs over the years and is still stable. He added that even after the layoffs, Dune will continue working with a smaller team focused on AI and institutional growth.
No timeline was shared for when the company might start hiring again, but its direction is now clearly centered on automation, data tools, and serving bigger financial players entering the blockchain space.
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