tl;dr
In October 2025, DeFiLlama accused Blockworks of violating its terms of service by reselling free analytics data on a paid dashboard, sparking a public feud. Blockworks, transitioning from media to a data-driven firm, defended itself by claiming the data was deprecated, but DeFiLlama disputed this. ...
**DeFiLlama Accuses Blockworks of Data Misuse Amid Company Restructuring**
In a fiery public exchange on X (formerly Twitter), DeFiLlama founder 0xngmi accused Blockworks of violating its terms of service by reselling the open-source data platform’s free analytics on a paid dashboard, sparking widespread community backlash. The allegations came on the same day Blockworks co-founder Jason Yanowitz announced the company’s pivot from news media to a data-driven software organization, raising questions about transparency and ethics in the crypto industry.
### Blockworks’ Strategic Shift
Jason Yanowitz, co-founder of Blockworks, outlined the company’s evolution in a detailed post. Founded in 2017, Blockworks initially aimed to address the “information problem” in crypto by launching events, podcasts, research, and data tools. Over time, the firm expanded into a news division, which Yanowitz now claims has become obsolete.
“We built events, podcasts, research products, data dashboards, and eventually a newsroom,” Yanowitz wrote. He highlighted record revenues in 2025 and projected continued growth in 2026, particularly in the data division, which he called “the company’s strongest opportunity since its founding.”
The announcement revealed Blockworks’ decision to shutter its newsroom, citing the maturation of crypto media and a shift in user preferences toward data dashboards. While the company will retain newsletters, podcasts, and events, including the DAS conference in Abu Dhabi, the move left many in the crypto community unsettled.
### DeFiLlama’s Accusation and Blockworks’ Defense
The fallout began when 0xngmi posted a screenshot of a Blockworks paywalled dashboard allegedly displaying DeFiLlama’s free data, which is prohibited under DeFiLlama’s terms of service. “Blockworks becoming a data-first org is cool I guess, but you guys could start by not reselling our free data for $4,500/yr against our ToS,” 0xngmi wrote, attaching the screenshot.
Dan Smith, Blockworks’ head of data, responded by claiming the data had been deprecated months prior following DeFiLlama’s terms of service changes. “The charts you showed don’t show any data… this is an edge case where the dashboard builder shows all charts ever created,” he wrote.
0xngmi countered that the “application revenue by chain” chart in the screenshot was active and pulled data from October 2025, contradicting Smith’s claim. The exchange grew heated, with 0xngmi accusing Smith of lying. Engagement on the thread favored 0xngmi’s replies, suggesting community support for DeFiLlama.
### Community Backlash and Criticism
The timing of the data dispute amplified tensions. As Blockworks positioned itself as a trusted data provider, the accusation of misusing another project’s data drew sharp criticism. Users highlighted concerns about transparency and compliance, with many questioning how Blockworks could claim to lead in data integrity while allegedly violating terms of service.
Separately, the newsroom layoffs faced scrutiny. Critics argued that Yanowitz’s announcement—emphasizing record revenues and growth—downplayed the impact on employees. Martyna MBL, Senior Director at Serotonin, called the communication “tone-deaf,” noting that laying off journalists while framing the move as a “victory lap” undermined the team’s contributions.
“When you announce redundancies as a footnote to a victory lap, it gives people the impression of how much you value the team that helped build your credibility,” MBL wrote.
### Broader Implications for Crypto Industry
The conflict underscores growing tensions in the crypto space over data ownership, ethical practices, and corporate accountability. As platforms like Blockworks and DeFiLlama vie for influence, the incident raises critical questions about the balance between innovation and transparency.
For now, the community remains divided. While some defend Blockworks’ strategic pivot, others see the data dispute as a betrayal of trust. As the debate continues, the incident serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges of navigating a rapidly evolving industry where reputation and integrity are paramount.
The next steps for both companies—and the broader crypto ecosystem—will likely shape the conversation around data ethics for years to come.