Algorand news

The Algorand Foundation announced a 25% staff layoff, citing an uncertain global macro environment and a broad crypto market downturn. The foundation praised the departing employees as “best‑in‑class contributors,” said the decision was “incredibly tough,” and pledged support during the transition while aligning resources with long‑term protocol, technology and ecosystem priorities. The layoffs are part of a wider crypto‑industry shake‑up, with Messari, OP Labs, Block and Gemini also announcing significant workforce reductions in recent weeks.

Algorand Foundation announced a 25% staff reduction, calling it a difficult decision driven by the uncertain global macro environment and the broader crypto market downturn. The foundation said the affected employees were "best‑in‑class" and pledged support during the transition, aiming for a more sustainable alignment of resources with long‑term protocol priorities.

The Algorand Foundation announced on March 18 that it is cutting 25% of its staff, citing an uncertain global macro environment and a broader crypto market downturn. The non‑profit, which oversees the Algorand Layer‑1 blockchain, employs fewer than 200 people. The foundation said the move aligns its resources with long‑term protocol priorities and reaffirmed its focus on financial empowerment and ecosystem growth. It holds about $38 million in USD‑denominated investments and 1.1 million ALGO tokens, with ALGO valued at roughly $805.8 million and ranking 78th by market cap.

Algorand Foundation announced it is cutting 25% of its workforce amid a broader crypto downturn and macroeconomic uncertainty. The layoff size was not disclosed; the foundation said the move aligns resources with long‑term business, technology and ecosystem priorities while it remains focused on the Algorand protocol and network. Despite the cuts, the Algorand network reported a 4.7% rise in Q4 transactions and real‑world asset values jumped to $109 million, placing it 19th among blockchains. The reduction follows recent headcount cuts at OP Labs, PIP Labs, Block and Gemini.

Algorand Foundation has moved its headquarters back to Delaware from Singapore, announcing a restructuring that includes a new board of directors. The shift aligns with the Trump administration’s more industry‑oriented crypto policy, and the board—featuring Bill Barhydt, Alex Holmes, Michael Mosier, Rebecca Rettig, Staci Warden, and advisor Chris Peikert—aims to expand U.S. operations in payments, asset tokenization, and other blockchain‑based financial services.

In 2025, altcoins fell more than 46% from peak, yet XRP, Zcash and Algorand bucked the trend, delivering gains driven by regulatory clarity, privacy demand and real‑world tokenisation. XRP surged 35% in July, reaching $3.60 after the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple was dropped and an XRP ETF debuted in November, generating $756 million in early inflows. Zcash rallied over 12‑fold, spurred by tightening KYC/AML rules and institutional interest in privacy, while Algorand’s partnership with Enel and a growing staked volume signalled utility‑driven adoption.

The Algorand Foundation has tapped Nikolaos Bougalis, a veteran cryptographer and former Ripple engineering lead, as its new chief technology officer, the company said in a press release Monday.

VersaBank is running a U.S. pilot testing tokenized dollar deposits (USDVB) on Algorand, Ethereum and Stellar. Each token represents a $1 deposit held at the bank and is issued via a digital vault and e-wallet. Unlike stablecoins, these bank-backed tokens are federally insured, can earn interest and will be regulated under banking rules. The pilot, expected to finish by end-2025, will test thousands of small-value transactions before seeking OCC approval for a public launch.

The Algorand Foundation unveiled a 2025‑up‑to‑2026 roadmap aimed at revitalizing its ecosystem and positioning the network as a user‑centric, real‑world economy platform. Central to the plan is the Project King Safety protocol, a redesign that will reconfigure fee mechanics and incentive structures to create a self‑sustaining, secure foundation with a paper slated for later this year. Governance will shift to a fully community‑led model by Q3 2025, with an on‑chain council deciding on grants and resource allocation, followed by a formal proposal and voting framework due by year‑end. Algorand will launch Algokit 4.0 in 2026, combining AI‑assisted coding with faster, modular smart‑contract development, updated storage, and expanded language support. The roadmap’s final thrust is tokenizing traditional finance, with a Q4 2025 MVP for debt and equity tools built on ACTUS standards, targeting an $18.9 trillion market by 2033.

Tether announced it will wind down USDT on Omni Layer, Bitcoin Cash’s Simple Ledger Protocol, Kusama, EOS, and Algorand, effective September 1, 2025, with all tokens frozen that day. The move follows a decline in usage of these legacy chains, which now represent only a small fraction of the $156 billion float. The firm will redirect support to Layer-2 networks such as the Lightning Network and newer blockchains offering faster settlement and richer developer tools. Token holders are urged to redeem or migrate their USDT via bridges or exchanges; the bulk of the supply remains on Tron and Ethereum.