In Brief
- DeFiLlama founder 0xngmi accused Blockworks of reselling its free data on a paid platform for $4,500 annually, despite prior assurances of removal.
- The accusation followed Blockworks’ announcement to cease its news division and focus solely on software and data offerings.
- Blockworks’ Head of Data, Dan Smith, claimed the data was deprecated and it was an edge case, but 0xngmi countered with evidence of current data.
- The community largely sided with DeFiLlama, with the exchange of replies described as being ratioed on X.
- Blockworks’ decision to shut down its newsroom also faced criticism for its tone-deaf announcement prioritizing revenue over staff.
DeFiLlama Accuses Blockworks of Data Resale
Tristan, founder of DeFiLlama (identified as 0xngmi on X), publicly accused Blockworks of repackaging and selling DeFiLlama’s freely available data on their subscription-based analytics platform. The platform is reportedly priced at $4,500 per year. This accusation surfaced on the same day that Blockworks co-founder Jason Yanowitz announced a significant strategic shift for the company.
Blockworks, a company previously known for its crypto news coverage, is transitioning into a purely software and data organization. Yanowitz explained in a detailed announcement that the company’s founding in 2017 was motivated by the need to address the information problem in the rapidly expanding crypto space. He highlighted the growth of their data division as a key driver of success, noting its reliance by investors and crypto protocols.
The decision to exit the news business was attributed to the maturation of the crypto media landscape, with a perceived shift in user preference towards data dashboards over traditional articles. Blockworks will continue to operate newsletters, podcasts, and events, including the upcoming DAS conference in Abu Dhabi.
DeFiLlama’s Counter-Accusation
Shortly after Yanowitz’s announcement, 0xngmi quoted the post on X, stating: “Blockworks becoming a data first org is cool I guess, but you guys could start by not reselling our free data for $4.5k/yr against our Terms of Services, even after telling us you had removed all our data when we asked. Screenshot from blockworks paid platform, 1 min ago.”
The post included a screenshot of what appeared to be a Blockworks paywalled dashboard displaying a chart sourced from DeFiLlama’s data.
Dan Smith, Blockworks’ Head of Data, responded to the accusation in the same thread. He claimed that the charts shown in the screenshot did not reflect current data, as Blockworks had deprecated the use of DeFiLlama data months prior, following a change in their Terms of Service and subsequent direct messages (DMs) between the parties. Smith suggested the dashboard builder might be showing historical charts.
“The charts you showed don’t show any data as we deprecated use of dl data in the platform months ago following your change in ToS – as we discussed over DMs. This is an edge case where the dashboard builder shows all charts ever created, regardless if they exist/the data is updated. Thanks for not just dming it, bonus points for a splashy tweet.”
0xngmi refuted Smith’s claim, calling him a liar and asserting that the application revenue by chain chart in the screenshot was indeed displaying current data from DeFiLlama.
Smith then replied, stating the data hadn’t been updated since July, as previously communicated in their DMs, and questioned why DeFiLlama hadn’t raised it as a potential bug.
0xngmi countered this by pointing out that the chart in question showed data up to the current month, October 2025.
💡 The interaction concluded without further response from Smith. Analysis of the X thread indicated that 0xngmi’s replies garnered significantly more engagement (likes) than Smith’s, a phenomenon on X often interpreted as community consensus, suggesting the public sided with DeFiLlama’s perspective.
The controversy quickly spread across the platform, with users discussing Terms of Service adherence and the transparency of data providers. The juxtaposition of Blockworks positioning itself as a data authority while facing accusations of data misuse amplified the community’s reaction.
Community Reacts to Blockworks’ Newsroom Layoffs
In parallel with the data resale allegations, Blockworks’ decision to discontinue its news division also sparked considerable backlash from the crypto community.
Many expressed dissatisfaction with the way the layoffs were announced. Critics found it perceived as tone-deaf to lead the announcement with news of record revenues and substantial growth, framing the departure of journalists as a mere footnote rather than a significant event emphasizing the value of their contributions to building Blockworks’ credibility.
Martyna MBL, Senior Director at Serotonin, commented on X: “Ok this is pretty tone-deaf way to communicate a major layoff especially while leading with ‘record revenue’ and ‘massive growth’ It’s not just optics but also respect. When you announce redundancies as a footnote to a victory lap it gives people impression on how much you value the team that helped built your credibility in the first place. Really hoping the reporters affected get snapped up fast – they’re some of the best in the business honestly.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by other users who argued that the Blockworks newsroom was instrumental in establishing the brand’s industry recognition, particularly during market downturns when clear and reliable reporting was crucial.
The timing of the data resale accusation, occurring on the same day Blockworks announced its shift to a data-centric model, further intensified the negative reactions and scrutiny.
Final Thoughts
The recent events involving Blockworks have ignited significant debate within the crypto community. The company’s pivot to a data-focused model was overshadowed by accusations of reselling competitor data and criticism regarding the handling of newsroom layoffs. The ongoing discussions highlight the importance of data integrity, transparent business practices, and respectful communication during corporate transitions.