Eclipse CEO steps back amid harassment allegations
Quick Take
- Eclipse CEO and founder Neel Somani said Thursday that he is “temporarily reducing” his public-facing duties at the Ethereum Layer 2 solution.
- Somani denied multiple allegations that he engaged in any sexual misconduct.
Eclipse CEO Neel Somani said Thursday in an X post that he is "reducing his role" in the Layer 2 project shortly after a flurry of sexual harassment allegations against him resurfaced.
But that doesn't mean he won't continue to be hands-on with Eclipse: "I did not step back from my role," Somani told The Block a few hours after posting about his role reduction on social media.
In a series of private messages on X, Somani, who founded Eclipse in 2022, told The Block that he is "still currently active" as CEO and has no plans to step down.
"I am still currently active in my role as CEO and will continue to be," Somani said. "I'm just not going to be on podcasts/panels temporarily."
The executive vowed to minimize his public involvement in Eclipse in an X post Thursday as he denied the sexual harassment claims against him. His comments came roughly a day after allegations of the Layer 2 founder's sexual misconduct swirled on X.
“I'll be temporarily reducing my role as a public face for Eclipse,” Somani said Thursday in a series of public tweets. “It isn't fair for the team at Eclipse, our investors, or our ecosystem of developers to have this situation weighing on their reputations.”
For its part, Eclipse said in a post on X that it will share more background and details about the senior leaders at Eclipse in the coming days.
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"Our mission at Eclipse has always been to bridge the gap between Ethereum and Solana and build a truly novel and high-performing blockchain for the future of the crypto industry," the company said. "We remain committed to this vision, our supporters, and our broader ecosystem/community."
Somani said in his posts that he is "work[ing] to clear [his] name and defend" himself against the allegations, although he didn't specify what that would entail.
Eclipse did not immediately respond to The Block's request for comment.
The protocol founder added that the transition of power would allow "conversations to unfold and the truth to emerge" in a follow-up X post.
"Voices should never be silenced," Somani said.
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