Bitcoin's decline triggers mass layoffs in crypto, but M&A surges to $9.37 billion in H1 2026. Traditional finance giants like Mastercard and Franklin Templeton accelerate acquisitions in payments, custody, and compliance infrastructure, focusing on stablecoin adoption and institutional-grade use cases, while pure DeFi and non-utility blockchains are sidelined.
Layoffs and M&A Surge Side by Side
The ongoing decline in Bitcoin has led to significant layoffs across the crypto industry. However, merger and acquisition activity has skyrocketed, reaching $9.37 billion in the first half of 2026, according to MarsBit.
Traditional financial institutions such as Mastercard and Franklin Templeton are accelerating acquisitions of payment, custody, and compliance licensing infrastructure, focusing on stablecoin applications and institutional-grade deployment scenarios. In contrast, purely decentralized projects and public blockchains without practical applications are being shunned by capital.
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