A cryptocurrency dispute case that happened in the United States has sparked reflection. A man was sued for allegedly stealing over $11 million worth of XRP from the late country music singer's widow, but he later filed a countersuit, claiming that he had created this wealth as a "crypto investment advisor" and therefore is entitled to half of it.

The story goes like this: the two met after 2013. The man claimed to be a crypto expert and persuaded the woman to invest in multiple cryptocurrencies such as XRP, Ethereum, and Dogecoin. Last year, the widow, suspecting infidelity, kicked him out, only to later discover that her Ledger hardware wallet containing crypto assets had gone missing from her safe. Before and after the disappearance, her account was short of $400,000 in cash and over 5.5 million XRP.

Interestingly, through legal efforts, over 5 million XRP were recovered, but 483,000 XRP (worth over $1 million) remain unrecovered. The case also involves $5 million worth of precious metals and $1 million in cash.

In the countersuit, the man denied stealing and instead claimed that these assets were created through "several wise investments," and he demanded to receive half based on the proportion of holdings at the time of departure.

This case is quite sobering—it touches on several real issues: the physical security of hardware wallets, trust boundaries in investment advisor relationships, and the legal classification of crypto assets in disputes. Regardless of the final judgment, it serves as a reminder to ordinary investors—manage your assets carefully and maintain independent judgment in investment decisions.