The dbt Fear Index has surged amid rumors of a potential Fivetran acquisition, leading to a significant increase in dbt forks as data engineers seek to maintain control over their projects. While many may never use these forks again, the situation highlights concerns over platform risks and the importance of dbt-core in modern data pipelines. Observers are curious about the implications of the acquisition rumors and the broader response within the data community.

Fivetran has acquired Tobiko Data, enhancing its capabilities in automated data transformation with advanced, AI-ready features. The integration of Tobiko's technology aims to improve the efficiency and speed of data processing, allowing customers to deliver trusted data more rapidly. This acquisition follows Fivetran's previous expansion into reverse ETL with the purchase of Census earlier this year.