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Ethereum layer-2 developer OP Labs reduces workforce to ‘refine focus’
The organization is pivotal in the advancement of Optimism, an Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution designed to enhance transaction speed and reduce costs by handling operations off the Ethereum main chain.

Key details:
- OP Labs has terminated 20 employees as part of a reorganization that its CEO stated was intended to refine the organization’s strategic direction, emphasizing that this decision reflects a return to core priorities rather than issues regarding financial stability.
- The firm indicated it notified the affected personnel internally prior to making the announcement public and encouraged other teams within the cryptocurrency sector to consider hiring the departing staff.
OP Labs, the primary development entity supporting the Optimism ecosystem, has terminated 20 employees as part of an internal reorganization aimed at refining the organization’s strategic focus, according to a statement from the group’s leadership.
In a message on X, CEO of OP Labs Jing Wang noted that the decision came after discussions with affected personnel and was communicated to staff before being made public. The organization stated that the layoffs were motivated by a necessity to “narrow our focus,” rather than by financial limitations.
“This is not about finances,” she mentioned in a Slack message shared with her post. "OP Labs is well capitalized with years of runway."
Instead, she indicated that the decision was meant to enhance decision-making efficiency and "do fewer things … exceptionally well."
The OP token has experienced a decline of approximately 3% over the past 24 hours.
OP Labs is vital to the progress of Optimism, an Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution that aims to facilitate quicker and less expensive transactions by processing operations off the Ethereum main chain. The broader Optimism ecosystem currently comprises several notable chains constructed on its technological framework, including Coinbase’s Base, Uniswap’s Unichain, and Sony’s Soneium.
CoinDesk reached out to OP Labs for additional comments and to inquire about the percentage of staff impacted by the layoffs.
Read more: Optimism’s OP token falls after Base moves away from the network’s ‘OP stack’ in major tech shift