Metaplex, a major NFT platform on Solana, is under legal fire over its plan to move over 54,000 unclaimed SOL — currently worth around $7.3 million — into its DAO treasury.
This decision hasn’t gone unnoticed. A New York-based law firm, Burwick Law, sent an open letter warning that the move could not only spark a lawsuit but also damage user trust in the broader Solana ecosystem.
So, what’s the issue?
The unclaimed SOL came from a past technical update that allowed NFT metadata accounts to be resized. That change freed up some rent (in SOL) that users had paid to keep their NFTs on-chain. Metaplex gave users until April 25 to manually claim those funds — but many didn’t even know they could.
Burwick argues that pushing unclaimed funds into the DAO without proper communication feels more like a hidden fee than a fair process. The firm compared it to banks being forced to return overdraft fees due to unclear terms — basically saying: if users didn’t know, it’s not okay to keep it.
Instead of sweeping everything into the treasury, Burwick is urging Metaplex to refund the SOL directly to NFT holders through a system update. They suggest the DAO keep a small cut — maybe 10% — to help with maintenance, but the rest should go back to users.
So far, Metaplex hasn’t publicly responded. Previously, the DAO said these funds could support things like airdrops, grants, or other community initiatives.
Burwick Law, which recently sued LIBRA token’s team over transparency issues, says this is a make-or-break moment. If Metaplex doesn’t act before the April 25 deadline, the legal and reputational damage could be long-lasting.
