Well, folks, it looks like resizing NFTs isn’t the only thing getting trimmed. Metaplex, the Solana-based NFT protocol, is getting more than just side-eye from crypto lawyers over its bold (read: risky) plan to sweep unclaimed SOL into its DAO treasury. And Burwick Law has just filed a very public open letter, with a message that basically says: “Do the right thing, or we’ll see you in litigation land.”
A Little Resize History (That’s Now a Big Problem)
Let’s rewind. Last year, Metaplex discovered a clever way to slim down the storage size of certain NFTs — think of it like your NFTs going keto. The bonus? This resizing actually made SOL available for holders to claim. Nice, right?
So in October, Metaplex said, “Hey TM NFT holders, you’ve got until April 25 to resize and grab your SOL.” But there was a catch: if you didn’t take action by the deadline, your leftover lamports (the smallest unit of SOL) would be swept — no, not under the rug — but straight into the Metaplex DAO treasury. Where they go from there? Well, nobody really knows yet.
Enter Burwick Law, With Receipts and Warnings
Burwick Law, clearly not fans of surprise SOL sweeps, posted an open letter on April 22 that could be best summarized as: “We’re not mad, just legally disappointed.”
They claim many NFT minters didn’t even know they had SOL to reclaim — let alone that it might be vacuumed into a treasury they have no say over. Burwick’s not mincing words here, saying:
“Many minters never received clear notice that these lamports could be swept, let alone diverted to a treasury they do not control.”
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Here’s where it gets juicy (and potentially legally spicy):
- 54,000+ SOL tokens are still unclaimed
- Only 7,043 SOL have been claimed
- That leaves over $6.5 million in SOL just chilling in limbo
That’s a whole lot of SOL, and a whole lot of possible litigation if Metaplex isn’t careful.
But Wait, What’s the Plan?
Metaplex’s idea, as per its own site, is that the unclaimed SOL might go toward:
- DAO votes on airdrops (cue confetti cannons)
- Grants for ecosystem builders (yay devs!)
- Or some other DAO-y things still TBD
Sounds reasonable-ish — unless you’re one of the folks who unknowingly lost out on your SOL snack.
Burwick’s Spicy Take: This Erodes Trust
The lawyers didn’t hold back on philosophical punches either:
“‘Code is law’ only works when the rules are clear and immutable. If a protocol can rewrite yesterday’s deal tomorrow, the promise of decentralized permanence rings hollow.”
Mic. Drop.
So What’s the Alternative?
Burwick doesn’t just throw shade — they offer a solution:
- Pause the sweep.
- Return 90% of the SOL directly to NFT holders.
- Keep 10% for network maintenance — call it a tip.
They argue that a 90/10 split strikes the perfect balance: users are happy, the DAO still gets funded, and no one ends up subpoenaed.
“A 90 / 10 split protects users, preserves DAO funding, and proves that the Solana ecosystem can self‑regulate — without a courtroom.”
And in case Metaplex needs a motivational pep talk, Burwick adds:
“The ball is in the DAO’s court. Let’s show the world that Web3 corrects its own course and lives up to its founding principles of transparency, immutability, and fair dealing.”
Cue the inspirational music.
Metaplex’s Response?
Crickets. At least for now. The team hasn’t responded to Burwick’s April 22 post on X, and didn’t return Cointelegraph’s request for comment either.
Maybe they’re drafting a response. Or maybe they’re just hoping this all quietly resizes itself out of existence.
Abimbola Adu
