- MANTRA announces a major team reduction after a difficult 2025.
- The restructuring aims to improve capital efficiency and refocus on core business operations.
- At the time of writing, the OM token trades around $0.076.
MANTRA, a Layer-1 blockchain focused on tokenizing real-world assets (RWA), has announced a restructuring plan that includes significant staff layoffs.
John Patrick Mullin, MANTRA’s CEO and founder, said this decision comes as the project prepares to turn a corner after a challenging year.
He described the move as one of the toughest decisions in the company’s history, noting that the native OM token had been trading near $0.076 at the time.
The cryptocurrency plunged from a peak of $8.5 in February 2025.
MANTRA Prepares for a 2026 Rebound with Focused Restructuring
Mullin said the reorganization will primarily affect business development, marketing, human resources, and other non-core support functions.
The layoffs form part of broader organizational changes aimed at optimizing operations, resource allocation, and other adjustments.
“As part of MANTRA’s strategic pivot for 2026, our goal is to become leaner, streamline operations, concentrate resources, and commit to disciplined execution,” he added.
The company cited several factors behind the difficult decision, including an “extremely unfortunate and frankly unfair event” in April 2025.
At that time, the OM token experienced a dramatic 90%+ price collapse, a flash crash that erased billions in market value and was triggered by forced liquidations on a centralized exchange.
Alleged manipulation exacerbated the situation, and a shortage of liquidity led to rapid selling pressure that severely impacted the project.
Mullin noted, “A prolonged market downturn, intensified competition, and shifting market dynamics have made our previous cost structure unsustainable in the current context.”
MANTRA’s Potential Going Forward
Despite setbacks, Mullin expressed optimism that the team can build on past accomplishments and move forward.
In his post on X, he outlined MANTRA’s potential to drive innovation and adoption in the real-world asset market.
By trimming operations, cutting nonessential spending, and directing resources to core priorities, MANTRA aims to deliver disciplined execution.
The objective is to keep the project shipping features while steering it toward profitability and long-term sustainability.
The announcement received mixed reactions: some community members praised the transparency, while others voiced clear concerns.
Mullin emphasized that he does not intend to step away from the project, and the team will share more details about prioritized tasks and the operational cadence in the coming weeks.
The native token reached an all-time high of $9.04 in February 2025; as of January 14, 2026, its intraday high was $0.082.