Rossi v. Akridge Case: Co-Founder of Solana (SOL) Accused of Hiding Crypto Wealth from Ex-Wife

Cryptocurrencies are about promoting financial freedom. However, like all other things, bad actors tend to exploit its advantages, particularly the anonymity it offers.

A co-founder of Solana (SOL) is facing legal action from his ex-wife over an alleged failure to disclose cryptocurrency staking rewards earned on her behalf during their marriage.

Elisa Rossi filed a lawsuit against Stephen Akridge in December 2024, accusing him of concealing the rewards from her during their divorce settlement in March 2024. The complaint, filed in the Superior Court of California, alleges that Akridge, who was principal engineer at Solana Labs during the marriage, used his crypto knowledge to hide how he made money from her SOL.

According to the filing, the couple agreed to split their cryptocurrency holdings as part of the divorce settlement, with Rossi receiving three crypto wallets containing her share of the assets. However, she later discovered that Akridge had staked the same assets, earning 100% of the staking commissions.

The court document redacts the amount of Solana tokens in dispute between the parties. Token Tax estimates SOL’s staking rewards at between 5% and 7% annually, subject to several factors.

Akridge, who is now CEO of Cyber Grant, a cybersecurity firm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CoinDesk.

According to the complaint, Rossi sent Akridge several text messages regarding the collection of the contested staking rewards. At one point, Akridge allegedly laughed at her face and said, “Good luck getting those staking rewards from me.” Rossi's filing argues that her ex-husband’s response demonstrates his unwillingness to cooperate in settling the issue, prompting her to pursue the case in court.

The court has issued a judicial summon to allow Akridge to defend himself against Rossi’s allegations. The judge has ordered him to submit a written response within 30 days of receiving the summon. If he fails to do so, the court may decide against him.

Divorce lawyers told CNBC last year that the advent of cryptocurrencies has created a new way of concealing one's wealth from a spouse. The relative obscurity of crypto to non-investors, coupled with the increasing financial sophistication offered by blockchain technology, has allowed investors to hide their finances effectively.

As a result, divorce lawyers have become more vigilant in tracking the potentially hidden finances of separating spouses, a situation that has also paved the way for the growing demand for blockchain forensic investigators.