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After gaining prominence in the crypto industry as the cofounder of the blockchain analytics firm Messari and organizer of the popular conference Mainnet, Ryan Selkis stepped down as CEO on Friday after a series of politically charged tweets tied to his recent support for former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
Selkis briefly took his X account private on Thursday after telling a green card holder he hoped \u201cwe send you back,\u201d and a day later announce he had decided to step aside as CEO. \u201cThis week was the first week in 6.5 years that my politics and rhetoric put the team in harms way [sic],\u201d tweeted Selkis, who is staying on as an advisor to Messari.<\/p>\n
In an industry known for brash personalities and rapid flameouts, Selkis carved out a name for himself as one of the most visible figures on Twitter<\/a> and across the conference circuit. After entering the crypto sector as a consultant, he became a director at the digital assets empire Digital Currency Group before joining its portfolio company, the crypto news outlet CoinDesk, as managing director, right before the 2017 bull market. He left in early 2018 to confound Messari. <\/p>\n Intended to compete with traditional financial services like Bloomberg, Messari became one of the most popular platforms in crypto, raising a series of rounds including a $35 million Series B <\/a>in 2022 from Brevan Howard Digital, Galaxy, and Coinbase<\/a> Ventures that valued the firm at $300 million. Messari also runs the New York-based conference Mainnet, where Selkis has had a leading role, conducting onstage interviews with figures like Vivek Ramaswamy.<\/p>\n Representatives from Brevan Howard Digital and Coinbase Ventures both declined to comment. <\/p>\n While Selkis was a former supporter of President Biden, according to a recent profile<\/a> in DL News, he has become a vocal backer of Trump in recent months. In May, Trump invited<\/a> Selkis to speak on stage at an event on Mar-a-Lago, which coincided with the presidential candidate\u2019s new support for crypto. Since then, Selkis has used his influential X account\u2014with more than 350,000 followers\u2014to share his increasingly charged thoughts. That included posting that \u201canyone that votes against Trump at this point can die in a fucking fire,\u201d as well as his reply to a green holder that he hopes he does not become a citizen.<\/p>\n While Selkis\u2019s tweets have taken a defiant tone, he received a \u201ctough love\u201d session from Messari leadership, according to a post on Thursday, and admitted that he \u201cran too hot.\u201d <\/p>\n Eric Turner, the chief revenue officer, will take over as interim CEO.<\/p>\n \u201cMessari would not be the company it is today, or what it will be in the future, without Ryan\u2019s clear vision and devoted leadership,\u201d the company said in a post on X. <\/p>\n<\/div>\nRecommended Newsletter:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>CEO Daily provides key context for the news leaders need to know from across the world of business. Every weekday morning, more than 125,000 readers trust CEO Daily for insights about\u2013and from inside\u2013the C-suite. Subscribe Now<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n