Ryan Selkis, who started the blockchain intelligence company Messari, resigned after a series of politically charged tweets.
Leo Schwartz
Fri, Jul 19, 2024, 8:54 AM MST3 min read
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.
Selkis briefly took his X account private on Thursday after telling a green card holder he hoped "we send you back," and a day later announce he had decided to step aside as CEO. "This week was the first week in 6.5 years that my politics and rhetoric put the team in harms way [sic]," tweeted Selkis, who is staying on as an advisor to Messari.
While Selkis was a former supporter of President Biden, according to a recent profile in DL News, he has become a vocal backer of Trump in recent months. In May, Trump invited Selkis to speak on stage at an event on Mar-a-Lago, which coincided with the presidential candidate's new support for crypto. Since then, Selkis has used his influential X account—with more than 350,000 followers—to share his increasingly charged thoughts. That included posting that "anyone that votes against Trump at this point can die in a fucking fire," as well as his reply to a green holder that he hopes he does not become a citizen.
While Selkis's tweets have taken a defiant tone, he received a "tough love" session from Messari leadership, according to a post on Thursday, and admitted that he "ran too hot."
