NFT jogging and trainers game Stepn lets go of contract workers as player numbers shrink in wake of cryptocurrency crash

The makers of the once-popular play-to-earn game Stepn, which lets users earn non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies through jogging, have started to let go of many contract workers, with the company seeing a continuous drop in player numbers amid a struggling cryptocurrency market.

Find Satoshi Labs has terminated the contracts of more than 100 community moderators of the game’s social media channels and “ambassadors”, whom the company pays to promote the game in different regions, according to a report by cryptocurrency news outlet Wu Blockchain and people familiar with the matter.

In an emailed statement, a Stepn representative denied that the team was laying off staff, but said the company had “parted ways” with “volunteer” moderators who had not been active recently. It added that the company is actively hiring for several roles.

The company declined to answer questions about whether those “volunteers” were ever paid, and its current relationship with its ambassadors.

Billed as a “move-to-earn” app, Stepn lets users buy and trade NFT trainers and in-game cryptocurrencies by walking or running in the real world. Players can then convert their in-game earnings to other cryptocurrencies or cash.