NFT Marketplace Gem.xyz Ousts Developer Over 'Pattern of Sexual Misconduct'

Co-founder Lorens Huculak says developer "Neso" was dismissed after the team was made aware of the situation.

AccessTimeIconApr 12, 2022 at 7:17 a.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 4:09 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

A pseudonymous developer going by the handle "Neso," who was involved in the non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Gem.xyz, has been dismissed after the core team was made aware of allegations of sexual improprieties.

  • In an update posted on the project's Discord, co-founder Lorens Huculak said that "after immediately undertaking a review of the allegations, we determined the actions to be in clear violation of our values and expectations, and we exited Neso immediately."
  • When contacted by CoinDesk, Huculak did not go into further details regarding the allegations or say if he was aware of Neso's real identity, only pointing to an earlier statement on Discord that the company is fully remote and Neso was an anonymous developer.
  • Like many projects in the decentralized finance (DeFi) industry, some members of Gem's teams use pseudonyms, making any sort of due diligence or background checks difficult.
  • In January, the DeFi community behind the protocol Wonderland was rocked when it learned that "Sifu," a core member of the founding team, was previously the co-founder of the infamous Canadian exchange QuadrigaCX.
  • Although Huculak refers to Neso as an anonymous developer, in a prior video interview with blockchain analytics platform Nansen, Neso is listed as a co-founder.
  • Huculak would not confirm if Neso is a shareholder of Gem XYZ Pte Ltd, the Singapore-registered firm behind the project.
  • NEAR Launches Multichain Access
    15:12
    NEAR Launches Multichain Access
  • How NEAR Enables Multichain Access From One Account
    00:56
    How NEAR Enables Multichain Access From One Account
  • Three Crypto Predictions in 2024
    02:07
    Three Crypto Predictions in 2024
  • Crypto Market Leaders and Laggards in 2023
    01:50
    Crypto Market Leaders and Laggards in 2023
  • Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Danny Nelson

    Danny is CoinDesk's Managing Editor for Data & Tokens. He owns BTC, ETH and SOL.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.