Share this article
Most Influential 2021: Ryan Selkis
Messari’s CEO was a force behind crypto’s political awakening this year.
By CoinDesk
Updated May 11, 2023, 6:26 p.m. Published Dec 9, 2021, 9:36 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
Messari CEO Ryan Selkis is boisterous and sometimes brash, but few are as informed. Perhaps this is because of his institution-grade data firm, which covers the industry like no other, or because Selkis still blogs most days about the crypto things that caught his eye. These Two-Bit Idiot “Unqualified Opinions” have sway.
Selkis was a major voice behind crypto’s political awakening this year and fight against the harmful provisions in the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Selkis delivers (take the Consensus-like crypto conference Mainnet), but his Senate run ambitions (probably just Twitter-talk) look to be on hold. For now.
The Complete List: CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2021
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Ukraine banned Polymarket and there’s no legal way for it to come back
Polymarket and similar platforms are considered unlicensed gambling operators, leading to blocked access.
What to know:
- Ukraine has no legal framework for Web3 prediction markets, and current legislation provides no recognition for such platforms.
- Polymarket and similar platforms are considered unlicensed gambling operators, leading to blocked access.
- Legal changes are unlikely in the near future, as Parliamentary revisions to gambling definitions are extremely improbable during wartime, leaving prediction markets in a legal deadlock.
Top Stories
