Yuga Labs co-founder takes leave of absence over health concerns

Yuga Labs co-founder Wylie Aronow disclosed on Twitter that he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and is taking a leave of absence.

“Some heavy news: a few days ago I was told by my doctor I have congestive heart failure. Symptoms started last year out of the blue and I put off seeking help (like an idiot) so I could keep working. But after testing, my doctor called and asked me to radically change my life,” Aronow wrote.

“The condition is progressing pretty fast and that means I need to make some serious changes,” Aronow said.

Aronow said he will remain as a board member and strategic advisor, to Yuga Labs. 

His exit comes as NFTs have lost value alongside the slump in cryptocurrencies prices and the fallout of the collapse of FTX and 3AC.

Yuga recently kicked off its well-received Dookie Dash game, a token gated mini-game that allows pass holders with access to confer their rights to play to others in a bid to net a high score and win prizes for the game’s next phase.

Aronow said that had pushed himself way past his limits on the project, working back-to-back 12-hour days in an effort to seize a second chance at life after spending most of his twenties battling a chronic illness.

“Our incredibly talented friend and cofounder Wylie (@gordongoner) has the full support of the whole Yuga family as he embarks on his journey to get back to health. He will be staying on as a strategic advisor and board member,” said Yuga Labs in a tweet.

Yuga Labs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Block.

Disclaimer: Beginning in 2021, Michael McCaffrey, the former CEO and majority owner of The Block, took a series of loans from founder and former FTX and Alameda CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. McCaffrey resigned from the company in December 2022 after failing to disclose those transactions.

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