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Messari Undergoes Leadership Overhaul While Embracing AI Strategy

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Brian Armstrong's Bold Prediction: AI Agents Will Soon Dominate Global Financial

TLDR

  • Eric Turner has resigned from his position as Messari CEO, with CTO Diran Li appointed as his successor.
  • The crypto data provider implemented another workforce reduction, with specific numbers undisclosed.
  • The firm is transforming into an “AI-first” organization targeting institutional clients with research and AI-powered solutions.
  • The company integrated the x402 protocol to make its data accessible to autonomous AI agents.
  • These changes follow previous workforce reductions of approximately 15% in January 2025 and similar cuts in February 2023.

Crypto intelligence platform Messari has revealed a significant executive transition and additional workforce reductions as the company reorients itself toward artificial intelligence technologies.

On Monday, Eric Turner announced his departure from the CEO position, which he had held on an interim basis since July 2024. Turner assumed leadership after company founder Ryan Selkis stepped down amid backlash over contentious statements made on social platforms.

Diran Li, the company’s chief technology officer for more than seven years, will assume the chief executive role. According to Li, the transition resulted from strategic planning sessions with Turner and Messari’s board.

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“After conversations with Eric and the board, we agreed this is the right step for the company’s next chapter,” Li wrote on X.

Alongside the executive shuffle, Messari conducted fresh personnel cuts. While Li confirmed the layoffs occurred, he declined to specify how many employees were affected. “We’ve parted ways with many teammates who helped build Messari into what it is today,” he stated.

Turner referenced the workforce reduction as well, describing it as “a difficult day for the team.”

This represents Messari’s third significant headcount reduction in recent memory. The company eliminated roughly 15% of full-time positions in January 2025 and executed comparable cuts in February 2023.

Messari’s AI-First Direction

Li emphasized that the organizational changes directly support a fundamental business transformation. “Looking ahead, we’re doubling down on Messari as an AI-first company serving institutions through research and AI products,” he said.

Established in 2018, Messari built its reputation as a cryptocurrency analytics and intelligence provider. The company introduced artificial intelligence capabilities into its product suite throughout 2024. Messari has become recognized for comprehensive sector analyses, market intelligence platforms, and organizing the annual Mainnet conference in New York City.

This strategic realignment echoes similar initiatives across the technology sector. Block, the payments company led by Jack Dorsey, eliminated approximately 4,000 positions last month while emphasizing AI-driven reorganization. OP Labs, which develops the Optimism blockchain, reduced its workforce by roughly 20% in recent days.

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Blockchain Data for AI Agents

Days before announcing the leadership transition, Li disclosed that Messari was making its infrastructure available to autonomous artificial intelligence agents. The platform implemented the x402 protocol to enable AI systems and developers to access institutional-quality cryptocurrency data.

This framework allows AI agents to autonomously acquire and purchase blockchain intelligence using cryptocurrency wallets.

Messari becomes part of a growing contingent of blockchain companies expanding into artificial intelligence, alongside Core Scientific, Cipher Mining, MARA Holdings, Hut 8, and Galaxy Digital.

Turner will continue supporting Messari in an advisory capacity after transitioning out of the executive position.

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Crypto World

Polymarket Faces Nationwide Block Ordered by Argentina Court

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Polymarket Faces Nationwide Block Ordered by Argentina Court

A court in Argentina has ordered a nationwide block of the major crypto-based prediction market platform Polymarket over unauthorized gambling.

Argentina’s national communications and media regulator, Ente Nacional de Comunicaciones (ENACOM), received a court order to block access to the Polymarket website and its variants across the country, according to a ruling dated March 11.

The order was issued by the Buenos Aires Court of First Instance in Criminal, Contravention and Minor Offenses No. 31, which is investigating Polymarket under Argentina’s Criminal Code for allegedly offering gambling services without authorization.

The judge asked ENACOM to carry out the measure either directly or through internet service providers (ISPs) and to promptly inform the court or the specialized gambling prosecutor’s office if technical or other obstacles prevent full compliance.

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Buenos Aires regulator initiated the case

According to local media reports, the case was brought by the Buenos Aires City Lottery (LOTBA), the state-owned company that regulates gambling activities in the city.

After receiving a complaint from LOTBA about Polymarket’s alleged operation without authorization, prosecutor Juan Rozas, in charge of the City’s Specialized Gaming Prosecutor’s Office (FEJA), opened the investigation that led to the court order.

Authorities argued that Polymarket allowed users to place bets without sufficient identity and age verification, raising concerns that minors could access the platform.

“In practice, this meant that anyone — including children and adolescents — could access and start betting without any control,” the authorities reportedly said.

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Inflation bets deepen scrutiny

In addition to instructing ENACOM to block access to Polymarket, the court reportedly ordered Google and Apple to remove and restrict the platform’s mobile applications on Android and iOS throughout Argentina, including for existing users.

Social media reports indicate users are discussing workarounds such as VPNs, while observers note that the order comes from a Buenos Aires city court rather than the national government.

Source: ImpuestosyE (translated by Grok)

The move adds to earlier scrutiny of Polymarket after its inflation-related prediction markets closely mirrored official data from Argentina’s statistics agency, reigniting concerns about potential insider trading, according to local reports.

Polymarket did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Cointelegraph.

Related: CFTC chair backs blockchain-based prediction markets as ‘truth machines’

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Argentina’s action is the latest example of moves against prediction markets globally, with countries including the Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal and Ukraine taking similar steps to restrict access.

In Latin America, Colombia was among the first to take action, with its gambling regulator reportedly warning of Polymarket’s unauthorized operations in September 2025.

Magazine: How crypto laws changed in 2025 — and how they’ll change in 2026