On January 31, Da Hongfei, founder of NEO, announced that he and co-founder Erik Zhang have reached an agreement to end their prolonged internal dispute, which had negatively impacted both the project and its community.
According to BlockBeats, the two founders are now jointly focused on preparing a comprehensive financial report, with a preview scheduled for release by February 15. This preview is expected to provide detailed disclosures to support:
Financial verification
Budget planning
Governance structure reforms
The founders also indicated that regular updates will be shared ahead of the final release, signaling a renewed commitment to transparency and accountability.
Background of the Dispute
The conflict between the two founders had previously drawn community concern. Da Hongfei was accused of failing to fulfill certain financial disclosure commitments, while Erik Zhang was alleged to have centralized and monopolized financial authority within the NEO Foundation. These disagreements contributed to governance uncertainty and reputational strain on the project.
Outlook
The resolution marks a potentially pivotal moment for NEO. If delivered as promised, the upcoming financial disclosures and governance reforms could help restore community trust, improve institutional credibility, and lay the groundwork for a more transparent operational framework going forward.
