Billion-Dollar NFT Platform Backed By Gary Vee Cuts a Third of Workforce Amid Market Downturn – Here’s What You Need to Know

Career Mike Novogratz NFT Non-fungible tokens

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Sead Fadilpašić

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Sead Fadilpašić

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Sead specializes in writing factual and informative articles to help the public navigate the ever-changing world of crypto. He has extensive experience in the blockchain industry, where he has served...

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Last updated: 

October 22, 2023

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Layoffs in the crypto industry continue amid the ongoing bear market, with the non-fungible token (NFT) platform Candy Digital becoming one of the latest companies to fire a significant number of its employees. 

Candy Digital is an NFT platform founded by entrepreneur and investor Gary Vaynerchuk and Michael Novogratz, the founder of the US-based crypto financial services firm Galaxy Digital.

Sportico, citing “multiple people familiar with the decision,” reported that the platform decided to lay off “a large chunk of its workforce.”

More than one-third of the company’s roughly 100 employees have been cut, the sources said, and have been notified about it on Monday morning.

Matthew Muntner, now former Community Content Manager at Candy Digital, said on Monday that he was a part of this layoff, with many commenters saying they regret to see him leave. 

https://www.twitter.com/muntnerdesigns/status/1597302048969850881

Candy Digital launched last year. On June 1, 2021, a press release announced that,

“Candy Digital is being launched by three titans of their respective industries […]: Michael Rubin, Executive Chairman, Fanatics; Mike Novogratz, founder and CEO, Galaxy Digital; and Gary Vaynerchuk, Serial Entrepreneur and Investor.”  

Therefore, sports apparel and fan gear store Fanatics became the majority shareholder, while Novogratz and Vaynerchuk became equity partners at the company.  

Just a few months later, in October, Candy Digital raised $100 million at a $1.5 billion valuation, from SoftBank, Insight Partners, Connect Ventures, Will Ventures, and others, including a number of athletes, active and retired.

This is not the only company in the crypto space to have decided to cut its staff numbers in recent months. Early in November, the major NFT firm Dapper Labs, the creator of the NBA Top Shot marketplace, announced it was laying off 22% of its staff, citing the “macroeconomic environment.” 

Also, in early November, there were reports that Novogratz could let go of up to 20% of the Galaxy Digital workforce amid the market downturn. 

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Learn more: 
– Billionaire Mike Novogratz Says These Cryptos Are Here to Stay Despite Current Bear Market – Here’s What You Need to Know
– Billionaire Mike Novogratz May Cut 20% of Workforce at Galaxy Digital – Signs of Bear Market?

– Cristiano Ronaldo Launches NFT Collection With Binance Crypto Exchange
– Sports NFTs: What are They and Why are They So Popular?