BitTorrent Lays Off Half of Its Staff

SAN FRANCISCO — The company behind file-sharing system BitTorrent has laid off 18 employees — about half of its staff — and may drop plans to challenge iTunes with its own network.

In August, the company let go 20 percent of its workforce in August and the layoffs are “showing signs of serious trouble while [BitTorrent] tries to commercialize its technology,” according to a New York Times report.

As an open-source technology protocol, BitTorrent represents about half the world’s Internet traffic.

The future of BitTorrent Entertainment Network, once heralded as a challenger to iTunes, is uncertain. The company’s 20 employees will work on BitTorrent DNA, a content delivery network that helps media and video game companies distribute their products cheaply over the Internet.

On Friday, BitTorrent announced that it was promoting Eric Klinker, who served as chief technology officer, to CEO. The company's co-founder, Ashwin Navin, has announced he's leaving the company.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

FSC Hails Members, Allies in SCREEN Act Victory

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) released a statement today praising its members and allies after a successful lobbying effort to prevent the SCREEN Act, a nationwide age verification bill, from advancing out of the Commerce Committee for a full vote on the Senate floor.

SCREEN Act Stalls in Senate Committee Over Technicality

The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday voted to approve the SCREEN Act, which would mandate nationwide site-based age verification of users seeking to access adult content online, but a procedural issue blocked the bill from advancing to the full Senate.

DarkFans Adds Time-Limited Content Pricing

DarkFans has debuted its Configure Limits feature for automating content promotions.

Clips4Sale, Free Speech Coalition Partner for 'Creator Workflow' Webinar

Clips4Sale (C4S) and Free Speech Coalition (FSC) have partnered for a webinar titled “Organization & Workflow: Simple Systems for Busy Creators.”

Pineapple Support, Streamate Partner for 'Self-Parenting' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group focused on self-care for performers, titled "Self-Parenting: Becoming Your Own Safe Space."

Nerds of Porn to Relaunch Site Through MyMember.site

Nerds of Porn is relaunching its membership site through MyMember.site on Aug. 14.

SCREEN Act Back in Play: Federal AV Bill Faces Senate Hearing

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has slated a markup session this week for the SCREEN Act, which would mandate site-based age verification of users accessing adult content online on a national level.

Clips.com Launches Lifetime Creator Referral Program

Recently launched creator platform Clips.com has introduced its new lifetime creator referral program.

BranditScan Rolls Out 'Leak Detection' Update

BranditScan has updated its Leak Detection feature for OnlyFans creators.

Show More