Ryan Selkis, the founder of Messari, a cryptocurrency research company, has announced he will be running for the U.S. Senate in 2024. The entrepreneur made the announcement on Twitter after finding out one of the speakers at Messari’s Mainnet conference, whose identity could not be confirmed, was served with a subpoena by the SEC. This is one of the first serious political bids that a crypto entrepreneur has made in the U.S.
Messari CEO Ryan Selkis Announces Senate Bid for 2024
Ryan Selkis, founder and CEO of Messari, a crypto research firm, has announced he will be running for Senate in 2024. Selkis apparently made the decision after one of the speakers from Mainnet, a conference organized by Messari, was served a subpoena by SEC staff that had attended the conference. Selkis stated:
If you’re wondering when I actually decided to run for Senate, it was when these f**kers came to my event, didn’t buy a ticket, and served one of the speakers a subpoena. Enough talk. More war on our out-of-control regulatory state.
While some media reported this speaker to be Do Kwon, founder of a protocol in Cosmos, this could not be confirmed.
Selkis is one of the first cryptocurrency entrepreneurs to announce a political run (besides the late John McAfee) to change the way that regulators are acting against cryptocurrency companies and decentralized protocols. But Selkis’ views are not a secret. He has always been vocal about his disagreements with how regulators are, in his opinion, hurting cryptocurrency companies in the country and stifling innovators.
Selkis Doubles Down
While for some the Selkis tweet was thought a rash assessment of the subject and likely a joke, Selkis dispelled these doubts in a recent interview. When asked about his senate run, he doubled down on his bet, stating:
The tweet does speak for itself. The tone is aggressive and assertive, but I think it underpins the sentiment that most of the industry feel right now even if they don’t say it out loud.
He reaffirmed the idea that regulators are focused on crypto, to regulate it in every way possible. Selkis thinks the government has a hammer and views every cryptocurrency project out there like a nail to be smashed down. The proposal sparked support from several cryptocurrency insiders on social media, who applauded the direction and intention of Selkis’ no-nonsense declaration.
What do you think about the CEO of Messari running for U.S. Senate? Tell us in the comments section below.
