Nov 30 (Reuters) - Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken said
on Wednesday it would cut its global workforce by 30%, or about
1,100 employees, citing tough market conditions that have
crippled demand for digital assets this year.
Higher interest rates and worries of an economic downturn
have roiled cryptocurrencies as investors fled risky assets,
with recent bankruptcies adding to the uncertainty.
"Since the start of this year, macroeconomic and
geopolitical factors have weighed on financial markets," the
company said.
Kraken said it has seen a drop in trading volumes and fewer
client sign-ups, adding that the layoffs will take total
headcount to where it was 12 months ago.
Earlier this month, crypto exchange Coinbase Global Inc
slashed jobs in its recruiting and institutional
onboarding teams.
Kraken, which earlier slowed hiring and pulled back
marketing spending, said it was forced to cut jobs as it had
exhausted other measures to bring expenses in line with current
demand.
Meanwhile, the implosion of crypto exchange FTX, the
highest-profile casualty of the year's market turmoil, continues
to ripple across the industry, with BlockFi filing for
bankruptcy earlier this week.
The meltdown has dragged the price of the largest
cryptocurrency, bitcoin, to around a two-year low.
Global regulators have since been circling crypto firms with
many seeking to set tough rules to govern the largely
unregulated sector.
(Reporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj
Kalluvila)