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 © 2025 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

Teasy Agency Launches Marketing Firm

Teasy Agency has officially launched Teasy Marketing firm.

Ofcom Investigates More Sites in Wake of AV Traffic Shifts

U.K. media regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into 20 more adult sites as part of its age assurance enforcement program under the Online Safety Act.

MintStars Launches Debit Card for Creators

MintStars has launched its MintStars Creator Card, powered by Payy.

xHamster Settles Texas AV Lawsuit, Pays $120,000

Hammy Media, parent company of xHamster, has settled a lawsuit brought by the state of Texas over alleged noncompliance with the state’s age verification law, agreeing to pay a $120,000 penalty.

RevealMe Joins Pineapple Support as Partner-Level Sponsor

RevealMe has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

OnlyFans Institutes Criminal Background Checks for US Creators

OnlyFans will screen creators in the United States for criminal convictions, CEO Keily Blair has announced in a post on LinkedIn.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Healthier Relationships' Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group on enhancing connection and personal growth.

Strike 3 Rejects Meta 'Personal Use' Defense in AI Suit

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings this week responded to Facebook parent company Meta’s motion to dismiss Strike 3’s suit accusing Meta of pirating VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pornhub, Stripchat: VLOP Designation Based on Flawed Data

In separate cases, attorneys for Pornhub and Stripchat this week told the EU’s General Court that the European Commission relied on unreliable data when it classified the sites as “very large online platforms” (VLOPs) under the EU’s Digital Services Act, news organization MLex reports.

New Age Verification Service 'AgeWallet' Launches

Tech company Brady Mills Agency has officially launched its subscription-based age verification solution, AgeWallet.

Show More