Ryan Selkis stepped down as CEO of Messari, the crypto data and research firm he co-founded, following a series of inflammatory tweets about politics, civil war and his desire for an immigrant to get expelled from the country.
He announced his departure Friday on X, the social media platform where he pumped out a flood of controversial messages this week.
"This week was the first week in 6.5 years that my politics and rhetoric put the team in harms way," he wrote. "As such, I have decided to step aside as CEO."
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
Never a stranger to launching insults on X, he amped up his comments after last weekend's assassination attempt on Donald Trump. "Anyone that votes against Trump at this point can die in a f*cking fire," he posted on X the afternoon of the shooting. "Literal war."
He also told an immigrant via X: "I hope we send you back. ... You are not entitled to citizenship. I hope it stays that way."
On Friday, as he announced his resignation, Selkis said that following the attempt on Trump's life, 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."
Read more: After 'Civil War' and Anti-Immigrant Tweets, Ryan Selkis Told to Cool It by His Crypto Startup's Leadership
Messari said Chief Revenue Officer Eric Turner will serve as interim CEO. "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," the company posted on X.
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