Turner Takes Over as Messari CEO as Selkis Resigns

Co-founder Ryan Selkis has stepped down as Chief Executive of cryptocurrency industry data and research firm Messari after a series of inflammatory political postings on X. CRO Eric Turner will fill his shoes on an interim basis.

Messari provides market intelligence for those employed in the crypto economy, including qual and quant analytics, a global research database and a suite of data visualization and asset discovery tools including asset comparison solution Protocol Metrics and customised exploratory tool Data Apps. In September 2022 it raised $35m in a Series B round of funding, valuing the firm at around $300m.

Selkis first worked in the sector as a consultant, then as a Director at Digital Currency Group and later as MD at CoinDesk. He co-founded Messari in 2018 to serve as a new-style competitor for Bloomberg and others.

Following the assassination attempt on former President Trump this week Selkis, who had previously been won over to vocal support for the Republican candidate, vented his feelings on X, among other things suggesting that 'Anyone that votes against Trump at this point can die in a ******* fire'. Announcing his resignation, also on X, on Friday, Selkis explained that following the shooting 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', but also admitted that 'This week was the first week in 6.5 years that my politics and rhetoric put the team in [harm's] way'.

Messari board member Jeff Clavier, who is a founder of venture firm Uncork Capital, confirmed (quoted on www.cryptocurrencynews.com ) that the board and team decided Selkis should step down after his inflammatory posts, stating: 'From a company standpoint, there were things that were said that shouldn't have been said'. However the company also stated on X that 'Messari would not be the company it is today, or what it will be in the future, without Ryan's clear vision and devoted leadership'.

Messari posted today that Turner (pictured) would step into the interim role, stating, 'Eric has been with Messari since Day 1, playing a critical role in building our research team, developing foundational products, and managing key customer relationships'. Selkis meanwhile will 'focus his time fully on crypto policy and national issues of importance to him'.

Web site: www.messari.io . Thanks also to www.coindesk.com for some of the above.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.