Facebook grows blockchain team as it looks to onboard 13 new staff

Facebook is now advertising for 13 blockchain-related jobs, its careers site shows; nearly double as many as in December. At the end of 2018, the social media empire's blockchain team stood at 32 personnel according to a LinkedIn search, having publicly launched in May.

Recent adverts for a technical 'Marketplace Payments Blockchain' role (which is no longer accepting applications) could add further weight to speculation that Facebook is creating a stablecoin for WhatsApp transfers in India. Another ongoing vacancy for a 'Brand Strategy' manager might also suggest that the company is ramping up for a pending launch date, with such hires typically corresponding with the end of a product’s technical development phase. Still, the company has been tight-lipped about the full nature of its blockchain tech ambitions for its two billion users, and its plans remain unconfirmed.

Several listings, including a Data Scientist role, that appeared in December are still open, although all positions, bar one, were removed from the site temporarily over Christmas.