Share this article
Ryan Selkis Quits as Messari CEO Following Inflammatory Tweets
"This week was the first week in 6.5 years that my politics and rhetoric put the team in [harm's] way," he wrote. "As such, I have decided to step aside as CEO."
Updated Jul 19, 2024, 4:49 p.m. Published Jul 19, 2024, 3:11 p.m.
Ryan Selkis stepped down as CEO of Messari, the crypto data and research firm he co-founded, following a series of inflammatory tweets about politics, civil war and his desire for an immigrant to get expelled from the country.
He announced his departure Friday on X, the social media platform where he pumped out a flood of controversial messages this week.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
"This week was the first week in 6.5 years that my politics and rhetoric put the team in [harm's] way," he wrote. "As such, I have decided to step aside as CEO."
A leader's first responsibility is to his team.
— Ryan Selkis (d/acc) 🇺🇸 (@twobitidiot) July 19, 2024
This week was the first week in 6.5 years that my politics and rhetoric put the team in harms way.
As such, I have decided to step aside as CEO.
My friend, colleague, and founding teammate @ericturnr will be taking the helm. pic.twitter.com/6icM6efMUu
Never a stranger to launching insults on X, he amped up his comments after last weekend's assassination attempt on Donald Trump. "Anyone that votes against Trump at this point can die in a f*cking fire," he posted on X the afternoon of the shooting. "Literal war."
He also told an immigrant via X: "I hope we send you back. ... You are not entitled to citizenship. I hope it stays that way."
On Friday, as he announced his resignation, Selkis said that following the attempt on Trump's life, he had "been disgusted at the media and administration's abject failures at pressing for answers in the attack's aftermath, as well as their failure to tamp down divisive rhetoric that contributed to the attack in the first place."
In addition to building Messari, Selkis laid much of the groundwork for the crypto industry's political fundraising in the U.S. this year. He is a former CEO of CoinDesk.
A decade ago, as an independent blogger, Selkis published documents revealing the insolvency of Mt. Gox, the crypto exchange that later went bankrupt.
Messari said Friday that Chief Revenue Officer Eric Turner will serve as interim CEO. "Ryan recently let us know of his decision to step back from an operational role as the CEO of Messari so that he can focus his time fully on crypto policy and national issues of importance to him," the company posted on X.
Ryan recently let us know of his decision to step back from an operational role as the CEO of Messari so that he can focus his time fully on crypto policy and national issues of importance to him. Messari would not be the company it is today, or what it will be in the future,…
— Messari (@MessariCrypto) July 19, 2024
Selkis was back tweeting about "national issues of importance to him" right after quitting.
"I beat @JoeBiden. Again," he wrote.
Marc Hochstein contributed to this story.
UPDATE (July 19, 2024, 15:52 UTC): Adds another tweet from Ryan Selkis.
UPDATE (July 19, 2024, 16:41 UTC): Adds background on Ryan Selkis.
More For You
L1 tokens broadly underperformed in 2025 despite a backdrop of regulatory and institutional wins. Explore the key trends defining ten major blockchains below.
What to know:
2025 was defined by a stark divergence: structural progress collided with stagnant price action. Institutional milestones were reached and TVL increased across most major ecosystems, yet the majority of large-cap Layer-1 tokens finished the year with negative or flat returns.
This report analyzes the structural decoupling between network usage and token performance. We examine 10 major blockchain ecosystems, exploring protocol versus application revenues, key ecosystem narratives, mechanics driving institutional adoption, and the trends to watch as we head into 2026.
More For You
Coinbase agrees to buy The Clearing Company to deepen prediction markets push
The deal brings a team with specialized experience building event-based trading systems, including veterans from Polymarket and Kalshi.
What to know:
- Coinbase is acquiring The Clearing Company, a startup with experience in prediction markets, to help grow its newly introduced platform.
- The deal brings in a team with specialized experience building event-based trading systems, including veterans from Polymarket and Kalshi.
- The acquisition is part of Coinbase's plan to become an "Everything Exchange", offering a wide range of trading options, including novel cryptocurrencies, perpetual futures contracts, stocks, and prediction markets.
Top Stories
