- Elisa Rossi sues Solana co-founder, accusing him of withholding millions in staking rewards from Solana tokens.
- Stephen Akridge allegedly withheld staking rewards despite transferring Solana tokens as part of the divorce settlement.
A legal battle has emerged in California, where Elisa Rossi, an Italian citizen now living in Rome, has filed a lawsuit against her ex-husband, Stephen Akridge, a co-founder of Solana Labs. Rossi accuses Akridge of withholding millions of dollars in staking rewards tied to the couple’s Solana cryptocurrency holdings.
The couple, married for nearly ten years, amassed significant wealth during their relationship, primarily from Akridge’s involvement in the development of the Solana blockchain, a cryptocurrency currently valued at over $90 billion, according to CoinGecko. Their divorce, finalized in 2023, was contentious, and Rossi was awarded a share of the couple’s Solana tokens as part of the settlement.
However, Rossi’s lawsuit claims that Akridge failed to transfer the staking rewards generated by the Solana tokens. Staking is a process where cryptocurrency is held to support blockchain operations, earning participants interest over time. Rossi alleges that these rewards, amounting to millions of dollars, were deliberately withheld by Akridge, leaving her without the full value of her awarded assets.
This dispute highlights how cryptocurrency assets are increasingly becoming sources of conflict in divorce settlements. In Rossi’s case, she claims her limited knowledge of blockchain technology was exploited by Akridge, who allegedly used his expertise to withhold her rightful earnings.
Court documents reveal Akridge reportedly mocked Rossi’s efforts to recover the funds, allegedly stating:
“Good luck getting those staking rewards from me.”
Akridge’s role in the cryptocurrency world is also under scrutiny. As a co-founder of Solana Labs, he played a key part in the development of the blockchain before leaving the company in 2023 to launch Anza, a Solana-focused software developer. He now serves as CEO of Cyber Grant, a cybersecurity firm.
This case underscores the growing complexities of managing crypto assets in legal disputes. Similar cases, such as a 2023 incident involving hidden Bitcoin during a divorce, show how cryptocurrencies are challenging traditional asset division.
The outcome of Rossi’s lawsuit could set an important precedent for how staking rewards and other blockchain-generated earnings are handled in future legal conflicts.
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Solana’s current price is $183.77 USD, showing a 2.78% decline over the past 24 hours and a 2.94% decrease over the past 7 days. The price range during the last 24 hours has been between $182.89 and $193.63 USD, highlighting moderate volatility.
Solana’s market capitalization is $88,163,296,052 USD, positioning it as the sixth-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. With 480 million SOL tokens in circulation, it remains a significant player in the blockchain ecosystem.
The 24-hour trading volume of Solana is $3,669,890,497 USD, representing an 8.1% increase from the previous day, indicating renewed interest among traders.
