Messari CEO resigns; company lays off staff and shifts focus to AI.

According to Mars Finance, on March 17th, The Block reported that crypto market data platform Messari announced the resignation of CEO Eric Turner, along with layoffs, as the company shifts its focus to AI. On Monday, Messari CTO Diran Li announced on X that after discussions with the board, Turner had officially stepped down, and Li would succeed him as CEO. Turner also confirmed the handover on social media, stating he would remain as an advisor. Turner will take over as CEO in 2024, succeeding founder Ryan Selkis, who resigned after making a series of controversial comments on X. Regarding the layoffs, Li wrote, "This transition also involves a difficult decision: we are parting ways with many team members who have helped Messari get to where it is today." Li did not disclose the specific number of layoffs. He explained that the restructuring aims to position Messari as an "AI-first" company, serving institutional clients through research and AI-driven products. Messari is not the only crypto company to recently implement layoffs. Last week, Optimism developer OP Labs announced it would lay off approximately 20% of its team; last month, Jack Dorsey's Block Inc. announced it would cut nearly 4,000 jobs; Gemini also laid off 25% of its staff to focus on its US operations. Messari, founded in 2018, is a blockchain research company known for publishing crypto industry analysis reports, providing market data, and hosting its annual Mainnet conference in New York.