Former Ethereum Foundation lead sues Vitalik Buterin over alleged wrongful firing
Kayleen Fulton alleges retaliatory termination and disability discrimination in a federal lawsuit filed in Colorado.
Key takeaways
- 1Kayleen Fulton filed a lawsuit against Vitalik Buterin and five Ethereum Foundation entities on 4 November.
- 2The complaint alleges wrongful termination on 6 April after Fulton disclosed a cancer diagnosis and organised a letter signed by 53 employees.
- 3The filing cites an alleged recorded conversation with Buterin regarding employee decisions and controversy.
Former Ethereum Foundation protocol support lead Kayleen Fulton filed a lawsuit against six defendants, including Ethereum Foundation entities and foundation co-founder Vitalik Buterin, in the U.S. District Court for Colorado on 4 November. The complaint alleges retaliatory termination and disability discrimination following an internal organisational dispute.
Fulton, who also goes by Nixo, claims the organisation terminated her employment on 6 April shortly after she disclosed an ovarian cancer diagnosis. Prior to her dismissal, she helped write and organise a statement signed by 53 employees opposing mandatory endorsement of the Ethereum Foundation Mandate. The lawsuit also details a recorded conversation in which Buterin allegedly expressed concern about employees affecting organisational decisions by creating controversy.
The Ethereum Foundation is a non-profit organisation established to support the open-source development of the Ethereum blockchain network. Buterin co-founded Ethereum and remains a leading public figure in the sector, making a formal court dispute against him and foundation entities rare in the digital asset industry.
The allegations set out in Fulton's complaint have not been proven in court. The defendants, including Buterin and the Ethereum Foundation entities named in the filing, are expected to submit formal legal responses to the U.S. District Court for Colorado as court proceedings begin.
Reported and edited by the YourKhabri desk under our editorial policy. Nothing here is investment advice.