Key Takeaways:
- Legal Battle Over Staked Rewards: Solana co-founder Stephen Akridge is being sued by ex-wife Elisa Rossi, who claims he secretly profited “millions” from staking rewards tied to her SOL holdings.
- Divorce Dispute: Rossi alleges Akridge violated their divorce agreement by using his crypto expertise to stake and retain control of shared tokens.
- Staking Rewards at Center: Rossi discovered Akridge’s activities in May 2024, accusing him of maintaining secret wallet access to accrue staking rewards.
Elisa Rossi, the ex-wife of Solana co-founder Stephen Akridge, has filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court, accusing Akridge of secretly profiting from staking rewards tied to her Solana (SOL) cryptocurrency holdings.
The lawsuit alleges that Akridge, leveraging his expertise in cryptocurrencies, continued staking SOL tokens—purportedly belonging to Rossi—after their March divorce agreement, which stipulated splitting the assets.
A co-founder of Solana, one of the biggest blockchain platforms in the world, is locked in a legal battle with his former wife over the gains from a cache of lucrative SOL tokens. https://t.co/PWKMxirNa8
— Bloomberg (@business) December 27, 2024
Rossi claims Akridge retained hidden control over the tokens, earning “millions of dollars” in staking rewards without her consent.
Staking rewards, a feature of Solana’s blockchain that enables users to earn returns by locking SOL tokens for transaction validation, have become lucrative in 2024, as the cryptocurrency’s value surged to $194.
While Rossi’s lawsuit redacts specific amounts, it states the disputed funds exceed $25,000 and involve “significant sums.”
🚨 Solana Co-Founder Sued by Ex-Wife Over Staking Profits 💸
— Ajay Kashyap (@EverythingAjay) December 28, 2024
Stephen Akridge, Solana co-founder, is facing a lawsuit from his ex-wife, for allegedly taking "millions" from her staking rewards💀
She accuses him of fraud and stealing her money! 😬 pic.twitter.com/2V3yPxbB8f
The complaint highlights Rossi’s repeated communications to Akridge between May and December, which were reportedly dismissed with comments such as “Good luck getting those staking rewards from me.”
Rossi discovered Akridge’s activities in May 2024. The case includes a request to seal portions due to its sensitivity.
Akridge has not publicly responded, and attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful.
The legal battle underscores ongoing disputes over digital assets amid the rise of cryptocurrency valuations.
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