Crypto.com to Lay Off 12% of Employees Amid Major AI Integration

Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com is cutting approximately 12% of its workforce as part of a sweeping company-wide integration of artificial intelligence (AI). The announcement was made on March 19, 2026, by founder and CEO Kris Marszalek in a post on X.

“We are joining the list of companies implementing enterprise-wide AI,” Marszalek wrote.

“Companies that do not make this pivot immediately will fail. Those who move slowly will be left behind. Companies that rapidly integrate the best AI tools with top talent will achieve levels of scale and precision previously impossible.”

The layoffs will affect roles “that do not adapt in our new world.” Out of roughly 1,500 employees, Crypto.com is letting go of around 180 people. All affected staff have already been notified and are receiving transition support.

This is the second major AI-driven layoff in the crypto sector in 2026 (after Gemini in February) and part of the growing “efficiency layoffs” trend also seen at Algorand and Messari.

The Growing Trend: Major Companies Cutting Staff Due to AI

AI has become an official reason for hundreds of thousands of job cuts worldwide. Here are the most prominent examples of large companies that have directly linked layoffs to AI integration:

• Block (Jack Dorsey’s company behind Square and Cash App) - February 2026: 4,000+ employees laid off (nearly 50% of the workforce, from >10,000 to <6,000). The CEO explicitly said AI tools allow smaller teams to achieve far more.
• Atlassian - March 2026: 1,600 employees (10% of global headcount) cut “in the age of AI” to focus on AI and enterprise growth.
• Amazon - January 2026: 14,000–16,000 corporate positions eliminated, with part of the cuts tied directly to AI-driven operational efficiency.
• Salesforce - 2025–2026: Around 4,000 roles (including customer support). CEO Marc Benioff noted that AI agents are now successfully replacing humans in support functions.
• Microsoft - Multiple rounds in 2025: Roughly 15,000 employees total. Resources are being redirected to AI products such as Copilot.
• IBM - 2025–2026: Hundreds of HR specialists replaced by AI, plus broader company-wide cuts.
• Autodesk - January 2026: ~1,000 employees (7% of workforce) as part of a strategic shift to AI.
• WiseTech Global - Q1 2026: 2,000 employees (25–30% of staff) due to “AI-led efficiency.”

Analysts from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, and Forrester report that AI was cited as a cause in 55,000+ U.S. layoffs in 2025 alone, with the number already exceeding 45,000 in Q1 2026. Some companies (such as Klarna) later rehired portions of their staff, admitting that AI still requires human oversight for quality and control.

What This Means for the Crypto Market

Crypto.com is confident that its new AI-first structure will make the company stronger and more competitive. At the same time, the trend raises a clear question: how many more exchanges and projects will follow this path?

For employees, it’s a loud signal to learn how to work with AI. For investors, it’s a sign of industry maturity, where efficiency now matters more than headcount.

AI is reshaping not just crypto, but the entire global economy. Adapt or fall behind, Kris Marszalek’s words are a warning to the entire market.