- Solana co-founder Stephen Akridge has been accused by his ex-wife, Elisa Rossi, of misappropriating significant income from her Solana staking rewards
- Rossi claims Akridge exploited his technical expertise to secretly manage her crypto holdings and take the rewards
- The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, seeks damages for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and fraud
Stephen Akridge, a co-founder of the Solana blockchain platform, faces a legal battle with his former wife, Elisa Rossi, over alleged misappropriation of staking rewards from her Solana holdings. Rossi alleges Akridge abused his superior knowledge of blockchain to redirect the rewards to himself during their marriage, constituting millions of dollars. Filed in San Francisco, the lawsuit seeks damages and highlights the broader financial stakes tied to cryptocurrencies.
Akridge Alleged to Have Taken SOL Rewards
Rossi claims in her lawsuit that Akridge secretly took millions of dollars in staking rewards from her Solana wallet, describing his actions as an exploitation of her lack of technical expertise in blockchain. In the complaint, Rossi alleges, “Mr. Akridge took advantage of the significant disparity in expertise in cryptocurrencies and blockchain,” effectively diverting the rewards for his own benefit.
The lawsuit states that Akridge convinced Rossi to stake her SOL tokens in a wallet and collected the rewards without telling her that she was accruing them. Rossi is seeking restitution for what she calls unjust enrichment, fraud, and breach of contract.
Crypto’s Role in Divorce Proceedings
Having enjoyed a swift resurgence after the collapse of FTX, Solana’s market resurgence has attracted attention, amplifying the stakes in this case. Akridge was a key contributer to Solana’s development alongside co-founders Anatoly Yakovenko and Raj Gokal. His legal team has yet to comment on the allegations except for stating his desire for privacy due to the personal nature of the case.
The concept of hiding crypto investments from a partner is one that has cropped up before, with some favoring the risk of not being found out in search of the reward.
