Shift away from retail and toward institutions! Luno exchange lays off 20% of global employees, doubling down on stablecoin infrastructure

The cryptocurrency market remains sluggish, prompting trading platforms to accelerate their strategic transformation. According to a latest report from Bloomberg, the well-known crypto exchange Luno announced today (28) that, in response to weak retail trading and to reduce operating costs, it will lay off about 20% of its global workforce. After this reorganization, Luno will shift its focus toward more stable profit-driven services for institutional clients and B2B infrastructure, and it plans to expand its stablecoin model pegged to the South African rand into more emerging markets.
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After experiencing severe volatility across market cycles, crypto exchanges are actively seeking a more resilient way to survive. On July 28, Taipei time, citing the latest update published by Luno, Bloomberg reports that the exchange decided to launch a large-scale organizational restructuring, with plans to cut about 20% of its global headcount.

Retail weakness drives a shift in focus to B2B and compliance

In an interview, Luno CEO James Lanigan admitted that, as trading volumes on the retail side continue to remain weak, the company must decisively reduce costs to adjust its financial structure. He did not disclose the exact number of employees affected, but said the restructuring plan will help the company fully expand its B2B (business-to-business) operations.

Lanigan further explained that over the past year, Luno has投入大量資源進行自動化與提升營運效率, which has led to rapid and fundamental changes in the staffing structure required for business operations, so the company now urgently needs a leaner, reconfigured organizational setup. Going forward, Luno will focus on three major areas: professional services for institutional investors, building core infrastructure, and strengthening regulatory compliance capabilities. Even so, the official said it remains committed to continuing to invest in existing retail customer products.

Targeting emerging markets and pushing local-currency stablecoins

As an exchange with a massive user base of about 16 million in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, Luno has already begun paving the way for its transition. Recently, the company has been actively expanding its B2B business, providing foundational infrastructure such as liquidity, wallets, and compliance for traditional banks, fintech companies, and telecom operators—so these institutions can seamlessly offer crypto services under their own brands.

In addition, the stablecoin strategy is also a core piece of Luno’s future development. As an inaugural participant in the South African rand-pegged stablecoin “ZARU,” Luno plans to replicate and promote this successful local-currency stablecoin model in other emerging markets that are severely lacking in such infrastructure.

Bloomberg’s analysis notes that as retail trading continues to show high volatility and uncertainty, more and more crypto exchanges are actively seeking more stable and long-term revenue sources—such as from institutional clients, B2B payments, and financial underlying infrastructure—just like Luno. This has become a common trend across the crypto industry during periods of market downturn.