TLDR
- Messari CEO Eric Turner has stepped down, with CTO Diran Li taking over as the new CEO.
- The company conducted a fresh round of layoffs, though the exact number was not disclosed.
- Messari is pivoting to become an “AI-first” company focused on institutional research and AI products.
- Messari also opened its data layer to autonomous AI agents using the x402 protocol.
- This follows earlier layoffs of roughly 15% of staff in January 2025 and a similar cut in February 2023.
Blockchain data firm Messari has announced a leadership change and a new round of layoffs as it shifts its focus toward artificial intelligence.
Eric Turner, who had served as interim CEO since July 2024, confirmed on Monday that he has stepped down. Turner took the role after founder Ryan Selkis resigned following a series of controversial social media posts.
Today I’m stepping into the CEO role at Messari. After conversations with Eric and the board, we agreed this is the right step for the company’s next chapter.
This transition also includes a difficult decision: we’ve parted ways with many teammates who helped build Messari into…
— Diran Li (@diran_li) March 16, 2026
Diran Li, who served as Messari’s chief technology officer for over seven years, has been appointed the new CEO. Li said the move came after discussions with Turner and the company’s board of directors.
“After conversations with Eric and the board, we agreed this is the right step for the company’s next chapter,” Li wrote on X.
The leadership change came alongside a reduction in headcount. Li acknowledged the cuts but did not give a specific number. “We’ve parted ways with many teammates who helped build Messari into what it is today,” he said.
Turner also addressed the staff reductions, calling it “a difficult day for the team.”
Messari laid off around 15% of its full-time staff in January 2025. It made a similar workforce cut in February 2023. This latest round marks the third time the company has reduced headcount in recent years.
Messari’s AI-First Direction
Li made clear that the restructuring is tied directly to a strategic shift. “Looking ahead, we’re doubling down on Messari as an AI-first company serving institutions through research and AI products,” he said.
Messari was founded in 2018 as a crypto research and data company. It began adding AI to its products in 2024. The company is known for analytical reports on crypto sectors, market data tools, and hosting its annual Mainnet conference in New York City.
The pivot mirrors moves made by other companies. Block, founded by Jack Dorsey, cut nearly 4,000 jobs last month, partly citing an AI-focused restructuring. Optimism developer OP Labs cut around 20% of its team last week.
Blockchain Data for AI Agents
In the week before the leadership announcement, Li revealed that Messari was opening its data layer to autonomous AI agents. The company adopted the x402 protocol to make its institutional-grade crypto data accessible to developers and AI agents.
Under this system, AI agents can independently source and pay for blockchain data using crypto wallets.
Messari joins a list of crypto-native firms expanding into AI, including Core Scientific, Cipher Mining, MARA Holdings, Hut 8, and Galaxy Digital.
Turner confirmed he will stay on as an advisor to the company following his departure from the CEO role.
