2026-01-16 19:50:54

Heads up—the FTC is now zeroing in on a trend that's becoming increasingly common in tech: major companies are quietly hiring away startup talent instead of acquiring the companies outright. The agency's leadership just flagged this practice as a concern worth investigating.

Why does this matter? It's a clever workaround. By recruiting key personnel rather than doing a full acquisition, companies can sidestep regulatory scrutiny that typically comes with major M&A deals. They get the talent, the IP value, and the competitive edge—without the paperwork or the watchdog approval.

For the crypto and Web3 space, where acquisition activity is already under intense regulatory scrutiny, this signals that authorities are getting smarter about how they police market consolidation. Even indirect methods of reducing competition aren't flying under the radar anymore. Worth monitoring if you're watching how regulation evolves in tech and beyond.

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RooftopVIP

· 15h ago

Big companies are playing tricks again; the tactic of poaching to evade regulation is indeed brilliant. Now even the sneaky foot-traffic poaching methods are being watched by the FTC... Web3 is even worse, there's no escaping it. Instead of poaching, it's better to acquire directly; anyway, a showdown is inevitable. Which company is this tactic targeting? Are there specific examples? It just feels like wasting time; sooner or later, they'll be investigated. Better to be proactive now.

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RektRecorder

· 15h ago

Oh my, this trick can also be discovered. Big companies are really something. They just dig people instead of acquiring, and regulators still have to evolve accordingly. Web3 regulation is becoming more and more tangled... no place to hide. Wait, isn't this another form of monopoly? The FTC has finally responded. Stealing key talent can ruin a company, this move is indeed brilliant. Thinking about those small teams that couldn't raise funds a couple of years ago, everyone has been poached. It feels like rules always lag behind operations. By the time the FTC reacts, it's already too late. So now it's "Don't acquire, everyone, just poach"?

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OffchainOracle