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StarkWare Cuts Staff, Splits Into Two Units to Pursue Product Revenue

The pivot follows a collapse in fee revenue linked to lower Ethereum transaction costs.

Overview

  • StarkWare, which disclosed the shift Monday, laid off employees and reorganized into an applications unit and a Starknet development unit to chase direct product sales.
  • Industry reporting says Starknet fee income fell more than 99%, sliding from nearly $6 million a month at its peak to about $48,000 in April 2026.
  • Leaders reassigned duties to speed execution, with the finance chief now overseeing security, IT, and HR, and engineering leads moving toward architecture oversight.
  • The company plans to build proprietary apps on its zero‑knowledge stack, including Cairo and Sierra, which it says enable products not feasible on other blockchains today.
  • Despite the revenue slide, Starknet’s on‑chain activity remains meaningful, with total value locked reported above $200 million, which could support uptake of new products.