Ryan Wyatt describes himself on Twitter as YouTube’s head of Gaming by day, and a “web3 & crypto advisor/investor by night.” Now, he’ll be working in crypto during the day, too. Today, Wyatt announced that he will be leaving YouTube after almost eight years to join the team at Polygon, a blockchain scaling network built on Ethereum. His role at the crypto organization will be leading Polygon Studios, an effort to bring games and other media entities onto the platform.
“I will miss YouTube dearly, but it’s time for me to pursue other endeavors in life and where my passions are taking me,” Wyatt wrote in a note posted on Twitter. “I am fascinated by blockchain app development and am beyond thrilled to enter the web3 space.”
His move comes at an interesting time for YouTube, which is still figuring whether crypto technologies should be part of its future. The Google-owned video platform is flirting with the idea of NFTs, according to a letter published today by YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki.
“The past year in the world of crypto, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), and even decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) has highlighted a previously unimaginable opportunity to grow the connection between creators and their fans,” she wrote. “We’re always focused on expanding the YouTube ecosystem to help creators capitalize on emerging technologies, including things like NFTs, while continuing to strengthen and enhance the experiences creators and fans have on YouTube.”
When reached for comment, a YouTube spokesperson did not elaborate further about the platform’s potential plans for NFTs.
Wyatt’s exit showcases a sustained trend of executives embracing web3 technologies and leaving their high-profile roles for existing tech giants, sometimes taking similar positions at much younger companies or organizations.
