Blockworks announces its acquisition of Messari, combining two major crypto data and research platforms. Michael Ippolito and Jason Yanowitz discuss how Messari's data APIs and research capabilities complement Blockworks' on-chain analytics and disclosure products. The conversation centers on crypto's trust and transparency challenges, the need for standardized data frameworks, and how the merged entity positions itself as the infrastructure layer connecting issuers, investors, exchanges, regulators, and AI agents in on-chain markets.
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Data Standardization as the Prerequisite for Mature Markets
Crypto markets cannot mature without standardized data frameworks — just as stock markets required GAAP accounting and SEC disclosures to move from speculative to institutional.
Crypto's Trust Problem Requires Standardized Data Infrastructure
Crypto markets suffer from fragmented, non-standardized data sources that create information asymmetries and undermine trust between issuers, investors, and regulators.
Consolidating Data and Research as a Defensive Moat
By acquiring Messari, Blockworks consolidates data breadth (Messari's APIs and research) with depth (Blockworks' on-chain analytics), creating a defensible position as the central information layer in crypto markets.
The Blockworks-Messari combination positions itself to serve AI agents that need verified on-chain data, and regulators seeking transparency into crypto markets.
Blockworks explicitly positions itself as infrastructure — the neutral data layer — rather than a consumer-facing platform or trading service, reducing competitive risk and regulatory exposure.