Binance CEO Says No ‘Large‑Scale Layoffs’ Planned Amid Wave Of AI‑Driven Job Cuts

• Binance co-CEO Yi He said the company sees artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance productivity rather than replace workers.
• Her comments after companies like Block, Oracle, Meta Platforms, Amazon and others have announced AI-driven job cuts in 2026.
• Nearly 80,000 tech industry employees were laid off in the first-quarter of 2026, with almost 50% of the layoffs resulting from AI-driven workflow restructuring.

Binance (BNB) co-chief executive Yi He said on Monday that the world’s largest crypto exchange has no plans for large-scale layoffs, even as much of the technology sector continues to focus on cost-cutting and efficiency driven by artificial intelligence (AI).

“Unlike most tech companies, Binance may not plan to carry out large-scale layoffs to reduce costs and increase efficiency,” Yi He said at Hong Kong Web3 Festival. Instead, she said the crypto exchange is prioritizing hiring and long-term expansion, with a focus on scaling its platform to reach billions of users globally.

BNB’s price traded flat in the last 24 hours, steady at around $625, while the rest of the cryptocurrency market edged lower. Bitcoin (BTC) dropped more than 1% but held above $75,000. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around BNB improved to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ territory and chatter stayed at ‘high’ levels over the past day. 

Nearly 40,000 Tech Works Were Laid Off Due To AI In 2026 So Far

Yi described AI as a tool that enhances productivity rather than replaces workers. She said AI is already improving efficiency across technical roles, particularly in software development. “For us, AI is actually something that makes strong people stronger,” she said, adding that coding tasks have become significantly more streamlined.

According to a Nikkie Asia report, nearly 80,000 workers in the tech industry were laid off from in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, with more than 76% of the affected positions located in the U.S. Nearly half of these were due to the reduced need for human workers because of AI and workflow automation. 

Oracle (ORCL) reportedly laid off 25,000 to 30,000 of its workforce globally in 2026, framed as a restructuring to focus on cloud and AI infrastructure. Block (XYZ) cut about 4,000 employees, which accounted for around 40% of its workforce, citing AI-driven efficiency gains. Amazon (AMZN), Dell (DELL), Meta Platforms (META) and others also announced sizable cuts to control costs amid AI-driven shift to workflows. 

Binance Wants 3 Billion Users As It Looks Beyond Just Crypto

Yi said Binance is looking to grow its user base to 3 billion, up from roughly 300 million today. The target reflects a broader shift in how the company views its role in the financial system. “Becoming a company with a scale of 3 billion users means Binance is not just an exchange; Binance is global financial infrastructure,” she said.

The strategy includes expanding services beyond trading into areas such as payments and day-to-day financial tools, positioning the platform to serve a wider retail audience. Yi reiterated that Binance’s long-standing slogan, ‘Exchange The World’, reflects ambitions that extend beyond being a cryptocurrency trading platform.

She said the company is encouraging employees to innovate across a broader range of financial services, with the goal of integrating crypto into everyday financial activity.

Read also: BTC Price Dropping Another $3,000 Could Wipe Out All Ceasefire Gains, Analyst Warns

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