Ethereum L2 Eclipse CEO Resigns Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Neel Somani, the founder and CEO of Ethereum Layer 2 blockchain project Eclipse, has announced a temporary reduction in his role following allegations of sexual misconduct.

In a statement released on May 9, Somani addressed the allegations, maintaining his innocence while acknowledging the seriousness of the situation.

Somani denies allegations of sexual misconduct

The allegations against Somani surfaced on Twitter last week, prompting him to respond quickly. He denied this, stating: “Serious allegations have been made against me on Twitter over the last week. “These claims are false,” Somani wrote in a post on Platform X.

He acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and stressed the need for a thorough and thoughtful investigation into the matter. He said: “Significant allegations of sexual misconduct require a serious and considered response.”

Somani stated that he has never participated in sexual assault or harassment and expressed his determination to prove his innocence.

Following the allegations, he decided to step down from his role as public point of contact, stating that Eclipse’s leadership was well equipped to handle the responsibilities in his absence. He expressed confidence that the necessary discussions would reveal the truth about the allegations.

“While I work to clear my name and defend myself, it is not fair for the Eclipse team, our investors, or our developer ecosystem to allow this situation to tarnish their reputation and the technology we work so hard to develop .”

Eclipse replies

Eclipse responded to the evolving situation and reiterated its support for a thorough investigation. The company expressed its commitment to transparency and accountability in a separate statement published on X. “Our team takes the allegations against our CEO Neel Somani seriously and believes in the importance of telling the truth,” Eclipse said.

In light of Somani’s decision to temporarily step down, Eclipse assured its community that it is committed to its mission. “Our mission at Eclipse has always been to bridge the gap between Ethereum and Solana and build a truly novel and powerful blockchain for the future of the crypto industry,” the company affirmed. “We remain committed to this vision, our supporters and our broader ecosystem/community.”

Eclipse, a Layer 2 blockchain scaling project on Ethereum, recently announced a successful Series A funding round, raising $50 million ahead of its mainnet debut. The funding round, co-led by Placeholder and Hack VC, brought the total amount raised by the company to $65 million.