Ryan Selkis, co-founder and CEO of cryptocurrency analytics firm Messari, immediately resigned following a series of controversial posts on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Messari’s Ryan Selkis Under Fire
The controversy surrounding Selkis began when he made statements such as, “I hate lefties with the fire of 100 suns. I’m not a Republican. I’m built differently. War,” and expressed frustration after the incident with the assassination attempt on the president.
Additionally, in a later deleted post, Ryan Selkis stated, “Anyone who votes against Trump at this point could die in a fucking fire. Literal war.” These remarks sparked concerns and criticism from various individuals and communities, including community members such as Adriano Feria.
Hadrian’s Fair questioned nature of Selkis’s remarks, calling them incitement and “self-destructive behavior” that opponents of the United States would welcome.
Selkis responded to Feria, a writer on Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies, expressing hope that Feria would be “sent back” after she asked him if he was a US citizen or just a green card holder.
As a result, Ryan Selkis has been thrust into the spotlight of public opinion in the cryptocurrency community, with industry practitioners expressing their intention to cut ties with Messari in the future.
Change of leadership
In response to growing concerns, Selkis initially stated that he would address these issues soon. However, they later stated that his political beliefs and rhetoric had put the safety of the Messari team at risk.
As a result, Ryan Selkis has decided to step down as CEO, and Eric Turner, Messari’s Chief Revenue Officer and a member of the founding team, has taken on the role of interim CEO. Messari confirmed Selkis’ resignation, stating:
Ryan recently informed us of his decision to step back from his role as Messari’s operational CEO so he can fully devote his time to crypto policy and the national issues he holds dear. Messari would not be the company it is today, or will be in the future, without Ryan’s clear vision and dedicated leadership.
Featured image from Fortune, chart from TradingView.com
