Ryan Selkis, a prominent figure in the crypto industry and CEO of Messari—a leading crypto research platform, has resigned following several controversial tweets supporting Donald Trump.
On July 19, Selkis stepped down from his role at Messari because his “politics and rhetoric put the team in harm’s way.”
Why Messari CEO’s Strong Trump Backing Led to His Resignation
Selkis, known as twobitidiot on social media platform X, will transition to a Senior Advisor role, focusing on the company’s long-term strategy. The former Chief Revenue Officer, Eric Turner, will now assume the CEO position.
“Eric has been with since Day 1, and helped build our research team from scratch, build some of our foundational products and most recently managed our sales and marketing functions. He truly has done it all,” Selkis wrote.
Over the past week, Selkis has faced backlash from the crypto community over his political statements. He posted several incendiary comments after a failed assassination attempt on Trump, which included harsh remarks toward those opposing Trump. In one such post, he tweeted that “anyone that votes against Trump at this point can die in a fucking fire.”
Read more: How Can Blockchain Be Used for Voting in 2024?
While Selkis apologized for those comments, he defended his position in his resignation letter. He expressed horror at the failed assassination attempt and criticized the media and Biden administration’s response.
“[I] have 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 the divisive rhetoric that contributed to the attack in the first place,” Selkis stated.
Market experts pointed out that Selkis’s political rhetoric reflects the importance of this electoral cycle for the emerging industry. Several crypto stakeholders—including Gemini twin co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood, and billionaire Elon Musk—support a Trump presidency.
Former President Trump has recently taken a more supportive stance on cryptocurrency. He pledged to back the industry and end the Biden administration’s “war on crypto” if re-elected in November.
Read more: Crypto Regulation: What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks?
However, skeptics like BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes argue that Trump’s pro-crypto stance is merely a tactic to win votes. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also cautioned against supporting politicians solely based on their pro-crypto statements, emphasizing the importance of decentralization and freedom in the crypto space.
“The point of all this is to contextualize the mentality that created blockchains and cryptocurrency in the first place: freedom is important, decentralized networks are good at protecting freedom, and money is an important sphere where such networks can be applied – but it’s one important sphere among several,” Buterin stated.
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