Ryan Selkis Steps Down as CEO of Messari

On July 19, Ryan Selkis announced his resignation as CEO of Messari.

A leader’s first responsibility is to his team.

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

— Ryan Selkis (d/acc) ?? (@twobitidiot) July 19, 2024

“A leader’s primary responsibility is to his team. This week was the first in 6.5 years that my politics and rhetoric harmed the team. Therefore, I have decided to step down as CEO,” Selkis wrote.

The likely cause was Selkis’s comments regarding an alleged attempt on Donald Trump, which are not publicly available at the time of writing. According to CoinDesk, he reacted emotionally to the incident in several posts and reiterated the anti-immigration stance of the US presidential candidate’s movement.

Eric Turner will assume the role of CEO. Previously, he served as Chief Revenue Officer. Selkis will transition to a senior advisor position.

Company representatives stated that he will focus on “crypto policy and national issues important to him.”

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

In August 2021, Messari completed a Series A funding round, raising $21 million. The startup was backed by billionaire Steve Cohen through Point72 Ventures, Galaxy Digital, crypto funds CMS Holdings, Nascent, Underscore VC, and early investors.

During the next fundraising round in September 2022, the analytics company raised $35 million, led by billionaire Alan Howard’s Brevan Howard Digital division.

Earlier in July, Selkis declared a “war” by Messari against the “illegitimate and corrupt” SEC.

Previously, he stated that the industry has no future in the US if Joe Biden is re-elected for a second term.