Solana co-founder sued by ex-wife in multi-million dollar token dispute

Rossi argues that profits generated by staking after divorce should have been included in the division of assets.

By:Livecoins

Stephen Akridge, co-founder of Solana

Elisa Rossi, the ex-wife of Solana co-founder Stephen Akridge, has filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court, accusing the entrepreneur of secretly profiting from staking rewards in SOL tokens.

The lawsuit, filed this week and reported by Bloomberg, alleges that Akridge staked SOL tokens allegedly belonging to Rossi, even after the couple divorced in March of this year.

According to the lawsuit, the agreement stipulated the division of the couple's assets, but Akridge allegedly maintained control over the tokens, obtaining millions of dollars in staking rewards without the consent of his ex-wife.

Staking is a common practice in the cryptocurrency space, allowing token holders to be rewarded for helping to validate transactions on the blockchain.

Stephen Akridge Accused of Hiding Staking Rewards in Divorce

Rossi argues that the profits generated by staking after the divorce should have been included in the division of assets.

“Stephen’s position as a cryptocurrency expert and co-founder of Solana allowed him to dishonestly manipulate financial information,” Rossi’s attorney said in a statement.

“This is an iconic case that highlights how the increasing complexity of digital assets can be used to hide wealth in divorce litigation.”

The total value of the SOL tokens is concealed in the lawsuit, but it cites “millions of dollars” in a request to the court to keep parts of the complaint confidential.

The couple filed for divorce in February 2023 after a decade of marriage. The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, unjust enrichment and fraud. Rossi seeks financial damages and a thorough investigation into the staking gains attributed to Akridge.The trial does not yet have a date set.