Ryan Selkis says he has resigned as CEO of Messari, a crypto data and research firm, following a series of controversial tweets in which he made comments about U.S. immigrants, violence against opponents of Donald Trump, and a civil war.
The venture-backed company faced significant backlash from the crypto industry over the remarks, leading to Selkis’ resignation. Messari wrote on X that Selkis has quit “so that he can focus his time fully on crypto policy and national issues of importance to him.”
Selkis announced his departure on X, saying: “I’ve decided to step aside from my operating CEO role at Messari and transition to the role of Senior Advisor. This was a decision I did not take lightly and one I was very close to making last month, as I considered the problems I was most passionate about tackling in society at large.”
Eric Turner, who previously served as the firm’s Chief Revenue Officer, will now assume the role of CEO at Messari.
After endorsing Trump for president, Selkis has sparked controversy for weeks by criticizing his rival, Joe Biden. Following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, he wrote on X: “Anyone that votes against Trump at this point can die in a f*cking fire.” In another tweet, he wrote: “The Civil War for the country started today, and if you are anti-Trump you are against the men who are willing to fight.”
In a later conversation with a follower on Twitter, Selkis asked about the individual’s immigration status. When the follower stated that they were a green card holder who had been living in the United States for almost ten years, Selkis responded by expressing a desire for the person to be deported.
In his resignation announcement, Selkis hinted at becoming more involved in the upcoming presidential election and devoting his attention to addressing “systemic problems” in institutions.