Dune Analytics is slashing a quarter of its workforce as the blockchain data platform shifts its strategy to focus on artificial intelligence and larger corporate clients. The restructuring affects about 25% of employees, the company confirmed, marking one of the more significant downsizing moves in the crypto data sector this year.
The reason for the cuts
The company said the layoffs are part of a broader reorganization aimed at doubling down on AI-powered tools and serving enterprise customers. Dune, which lets users query and visualize on-chain data, has been increasingly competing with firms like Nansen and Glassnode for institutional business. The new direction means deprioritizing some of the community-facing features that made Dune popular among retail crypto traders.
In an internal memo, leadership described the move as necessary to stay competitive in a market where big clients want more automated, AI-driven insights rather than manual dashboards. The company didn't specify which teams were hit hardest, but the reductions were spread across several departments.
What happens to affected employees
Dune said it's offering severance packages and extended health benefits to those let go. The company also pledged to help outgoing staff find new roles through an alumni network and job placement assistance. Affected employees were notified this week, and most will leave by the end of the month.
The cuts come just over a year after Dune raised a $69 million Series B at a valuation north of $1 billion. That round, led by Coatue Management, was meant to fuel expansion. Now the company is pulling back, signaling a shift in priorities rather than a cash crunch.
Competitive pressure in blockchain data
Dune's pivot reflects a broader trend in the crypto analytics space. Rivals have been racing to add AI features, and enterprise clients increasingly expect machine-learning models that can flag anomalies or predict trends from raw on-chain data. Dune's open, community-driven model — where users share SQL queries — was a hit with hobbyists but limited its appeal to corporations that need private, scalable solutions.
The company has been experimenting with AI tools for months, quietly rolling out a natural-language query feature. The restructuring suggests that internal tests convinced leadership to bet bigger on that capability.
Unanswered questions
It's not yet clear how the layoffs will affect Dune's existing products or its free tier for individual users. The company hasn't announced any changes to pricing or access, but the shift toward enterprise could mean less support for the grassroots community that built its brand. Dune's next product roadmap, expected in the coming weeks, will likely offer more clarity on what stays and what goes.
