Originally published on: September 03, 2024
Alex Gluchowski, the CEO and co-founder of Matter Labs, made a significant announcement on September 3 regarding the restructuring of the company. As part of the restructuring process, Matter Labs, known for its creation of the Ethereum scaling solution ZKsync, is reducing its workforce by 16%.
Gluchowski stated that historically, Matter Labs has excelled with a smaller team and the reorganization is necessary to adapt to the fast-paced changes in the market. The CEO highlighted the evolving role of Matter Labs within the decentralized ZKsync ecosystem as a key factor in this decision.
Moreover, Gluchowski emphasized that all affected team members will receive severance packages as part of the restructuring plan. Looking ahead, the CEO mentioned the launch of approximately 12 blockchain projects on ZKsync’s Elastic Chain ecosystem and the ongoing development of ZKsync Era by external developers.
In September 2023, Matter Labs, in collaboration with DappRadar, introduced the ZKsync Ecosystem Portal, a significant milestone in fully decentralizing ZKsync’s ecosystem. The move aimed to transition ownership to the community by relinquishing control over the ecosystem, including its technology, community governance, and critical infrastructure.
However, earlier in 2024, Matter Labs faced backlash when it applied for a trademark on the term “zero-knowledge” to establish intellectual property rights for the technology. Industry executives, such as StarkWare CEO Eli Ben-Sasson, criticized this move, likening it to a baker trying to claim exclusive rights to bread.
The negative response eventually led Matter Labs to abandon all applications asserting intellectual property rights over the term “ZK” in June 2024. This incident underscored the importance of open innovation and collaboration within the blockchain community.
As the industry continues to evolve, Matter Labs remains at the forefront of innovation, navigating challenges and embracing opportunities in the ever-changing landscape of blockchain technology.
