Aztec Foundation lays off 55% of workforce amid restructuring

The Aztec Foundation just slashed more than half its team, dropping from 33 employees to 15 in a restructuring that co-founder Zac Williamson announced on July 29. The 18-person layoff, representing roughly 55% of the workforce, was framed not as a fire alarm but as a deliberate pivot from development to network maintenance. From building to babysitting the network Aztec launched its mainnet back in January 2026, and the AZTEC token distribution accompanied that milestone. Then, just eight days before announcing the layoffs, Aztec pushed its Alpha V5 upgrade live on July 21. That upgrade reportedly improved private transaction processing times by more than 50% while significantly cutting fees. Williamson positioned the restructuring as the Foundation transitioning from a build-oriented organization to one focused on security and scalability of the decentralized network. The remaining 15-person team will concentrate on keeping things stable and secure rather than shipping new features at breakneck speed. There’s also a clear organizational split worth understanding. The Aztec Foundation handles governance, security, and ecosystem support. Aztec Labs, a separate entity, is the one re...