Data: There were only 2,932 active jobs in the crypto industry in the first half of 2026, a sharp drop of more than 97% from the 2022 peak

According to Tiger Research's latest report, as of June 18, 2026, there were only 2,932 active jobs in the crypto industry, a sharp drop of more than 97% compared to the peak estimate of around 130,000 in 2022.

The report shows that the wave of layoffs in the crypto industry continued in the first half of 2026. Among them, March was the month with the highest concentration of layoffs, including Gemini, Crypto.com, Algorand, OP Labs, PIP Labs, and Messari, which announced layoffs at the same time. Some companies were bought at low prices after multiple layoffs. For example, after three rounds of layoffs, Messari was acquired by Blockworks for about $10 million in June 2026, and its previous valuation had reached $300 million.

Looking at the recruitment structure, centralized exchanges (CEX) account for the highest share of jobs, reaching 30.8% (904), mainly contributed by OKX, Bybit, and Binance. The stablecoin and payments sector accounts for 13.4%, but it is highly concentrated in Tether and Ripple companies.

Furthermore, the demand for AI skills for jobs continues to rise, and the percentage of cryptocurrency job postings that mention artificial intelligence skills rose from 23% in early 2025 to 53.1% in March 2026.

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