Jeremy Ryan
Jeremy Ryan, also known by the aliases "NFT Demon" and "Segway Jeremy Ryan," is an American political activist, entrepreneur, and non-fungible token (NFT) artist. He initially gained public notoriety for his activism, including a prominent role in the 2011 Wisconsin Capitol protests and various political campaigns. His career has been characterized by eccentric activism, multiple legal issues, and a later transition into the NFT space, where he is described as a significant artist on the BNB Chain. In 2024, he gained further attention for filing a federal lawsuit against X Corp. (formerly Twitter) for suspending his accounts. [1]
Personal life
Ryan moved to Madison, Wisconsin after graduating high school.
Ryan ran a business called Cells R' Us Global Wholesaling and Consulting. He was also the owner of a window tinting shop called Tint Tek Window Tinting.
Political Activism and Campaigns
Jeremy Ryan's public life began with political activism, which often involved acts of civil disobedience and unconventional political campaigns.
2011 Wisconsin Protests and Occupy Movement
Ryan first came to public attention during the 2011 protests in Madison, Wisconsin, against Governor Scott Walker's bill aimed at ending collective bargaining for public workers. He became a key figure in the occupation of the State Capitol building and formed the "Defending Wisconsin PAC." During this time, he was the sole individual streaming video from inside the occupied Capitol. His frequent use of a Segway during the protests earned him the nickname "Segway Jeremy Ryan."
Ryan and other protestors engaged in civil disobedience, challenging laws they considered unconstitutional. In one instance, a successful lawsuit against the police resulted in a $45,000 settlement for the protestors. Following his involvement in Wisconsin, Ryan helped initiate the Occupy Movement in both New York City and Washington D.C. [1]
Political Campaigns (2010–2020)
Ryan participated in several political campaigns for public office, often employing unorthodox tactics.
- 2010: At the age of 21, he ran for Wisconsin Secretary of State. [1]
- 2012: He ran for the 76th District of the Wisconsin State Assembly under the self-created "Individual Party." [1]
- 2014: Ryan entered the Republican primary for Congress, challenging incumbent Paul Ryan. His stated goal was to leverage their shared last name to confuse voters and compel the incumbent's campaign to spend money. Paul Ryan's campaign subsequently spent over $1 million during the primary, a significant increase from previous, uncontested primaries. Jeremy Ryan received 6% of the Republican vote. [1]
- 2018: He ran for Congress again in a five-way Republican primary. His campaign gained notoriety for releasing unconventional ads, one of which showed him smoking from a bong ("Pssed the Fck Off") and another where he appeared intoxicated ("Drunk High Politics"). Despite being barred from official debates, he received 6,221 votes, placing him in a virtual tie with most of his primary opponents. [1]
- 2020: While incarcerated, Ryan filed to run for Congress but was unable to gather the necessary signatures to appear on the ballot. [1]
Other Activism and Alleged Hacktivism
Ryan's activism extended to various other causes, including protesting the fining of homeless individuals in San Diego, protesting ICE immigration policies, and participating in protests in Ferguson, Missouri. [1]
Court records reportedly contain accusations that Ryan was a founding member of the hacktivist collective Anonymous. His known associations include a Facebook friendship with Barrett Brown, a known Anonymous member, and appearances in "Project PM" videos with other prominent hackers like Greg Housh and Aubrey Cottle.
He also received mail from Jeremy Hammond, a member of Anonymous and its offshoot, LulzSec. During the 2014 Ferguson protests, after Anonymous had officially ceased its "doxxing" activities, a related group obtained White House Situation Room phone numbers. Ryan was reportedly chosen to leak this information, which he did through his dog's Facebook page. [1]
Business and NFT Career
Before and during his activism, Ryan was involved in several business ventures. He later transitioned into the NFT space, where he operates under the name "NFT Demon."
Early Ventures
Ryan started a telecommunications firm, Cells R’ Us Global Wholesale and Consulting, in 2009. The company had operations in India and the UAE with an estimated annual revenue between 5 million. He also owned Tint Tek Window Tinting, a window tinting shop in Madison, Wisconsin.
Both businesses are now defunct. [1]
NFT Demon and Major Collections
Ryan began creating NFT art in 2021 after a four-year battle with brain cancer.
He has stated that he "emerged with artistic talent that he said 'felt almost out of body'" following his recovery. [2] [3] Operating as NFT Demon, he gained prominence and has been described as the largest NFT artist on the BNB Chain, a claim based on metrics such as the total volume of NFTs sold and the number of 10,000-piece collections that have fully minted. [1] [2]
His work is managed through his company, NFT Demon Holdings, LLC, a Wyoming-based entity described as a consulting firm for celebrities and Fortune 500 companies. [1] Ryan has launched multiple NFT collections, with his work noted to resemble other well-known projects like CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club. [4]
Notable collections include:
- Cartel Punks (BNB Chain) [2]
- Bad Ass Doggos (BNB Chain) [2]
- Gaming Shiba (BNB Chain) [2]
- Super Gremlin Society (Ethereum): This project was created with a philanthropic mission to raise funds for cancer research institutions and to share Ryan's story of surviving cancer with the NFT community. [2] [3]
- Pump and Trump: A collaboration with rapper Lil Pump and tied to Donald Trump. [1]
Celebrity Connections and Recognition
Ryan's work has been connected with several celebrities. A blockchain review report indicated that rapper Eminem owned one of Ryan's NFTs on the BNB Chain, with some sources claiming the only three NFTs in Eminem's BSC wallet were from three of NFT Demon's collections. [1] [2]
His social media accounts have been followed by figures such as Snoop Dogg, John Cena, Tom Cruise, and Coldplay. He has also been photographed with Tommy Chong and backstage with DJ Tiësto. [1] [4]
Legal Issues and Controversies
Ryan's career has been marked by numerous encounters with law enforcement, resulting in significant legal cases.
Activism-Related Arrests
Throughout his activism, Ryan was arrested over fifty times for activities related to protests and civil disobedience. The majority of these charges were ultimately dismissed. [1]
2016 Drug Conviction
In 2016, Ryan was arrested for "maintaining a drug trafficking dwelling" involving small amounts of cannabis. He pleaded guilty to the dwelling charge, which was his first felony conviction, and was sentenced to 20 days of work-release jail. During his sentence, he reportedly used a custom limousine as his "jail limo." [1]
2018 Federal "Nuclear Terrorism" Case
The FBI arrested Ryan in 2018 on charges of "Attempt to Commit Nuclear Terrorism," which carried a potential sentence of life in prison. He was held for 16 months without bail. The government later admitted that it found no evidence of intent to harm anyone but himself. Ryan ultimately pleaded to the lesser charge of "Unlawfully attempting to possess a radioactive material" and was sentenced to time served and two years of federal probation. [1]
2020 Doxxing Incident and Probation Revocation
During the George Floyd protests in 2020, while on federal probation, Ryan publicly threatened to release the personal information ("doxx") of the Dane County Sheriff if an arrested protest leader was not released from solitary confinement. He followed through with the threat, leading to his arrest.
While terrorism-related charges were dismissed, he pleaded to "disorderly conduct" and "unlawful use of a telephone" and received a sentence of time served. However, the incident led to the revocation of his federal probation.
The presiding judge, James Peterson, described Ryan as "entirely uncontrollable." He was sentenced to two additional months in federal prison but received credit for time served due to a previous detainer. [1]
Lawsuit against X Corp.
In June 2024, Ryan filed a federal lawsuit, Ryan v. X Corp., in San Francisco, California, against the company formerly known as Twitter. [4] [3]
Background and Allegations
The lawsuit was filed after X Corp. permanently suspended seven of Ryan's accounts, including his main "NFT Demon" account and an account for his "Super Gremlin Society" project. Ryan claims the suspensions destroyed his business, which he stated was his primary source of income. He alleges that X Corp. provided no explanation for the suspensions despite over a dozen appeals and accuses the platform of having "inconsistent and arbitrary" content moderation policies. The suit claims there is a "pattern of unexpectedly suspending cryptocurrency and NFT-related accounts with no explanation." [4] [3]
The lawsuit also accuses X Corp. and its owner, Elon Musk, of hypocrisy, contrasting the suspensions with their public commitments to free speech. Ryan's legal team stated he had relied on these public statements when building his business on the platform. [3] In a public statement, Ryan said;
"For too long X has intentionally ignored its thousands of unjust suspensions per week, as well as its non existent appeal system... It's time for someone to stand up and I am proud to fill that role." [3]
In its motion to dismiss, X Corp. argued that its terms of service give it the right to suspend any account for any reason, or no reason, without liability. [1]
Legal Claims and Demands
Represented by attorney Donna Etamadi, Ryan's lawsuit includes eight business tort allegations: breach of contract, promissory estoppel, conversion, unjust enrichment, promissory fraud, false advertising, and unfair business practices. [1] [3]
The case seeks to expand on the precedent set by Berenson vs. Twitter, which allowed similar cases to proceed on grounds of breach of contract and promissory estoppel. [3]
Ryan is seeking financial damages exceeding $75,000, punitive and compensatory damages, and has requested a trial by jury. He is also seeking injunctive relief to prevent X Corp. from suspending accounts without an independent review process. The case is considered significant as it was the first major free speech-related lawsuit filed against the company following its acquisition by Elon Musk. [4] [3]