The case has escalated. The cryptocurrency controversy in Tennessee, USA, has taken many twists and turns.

Kirk West, accused of stealing over $11 million worth of XRP from Nancy Jones, the widow of country music legend George Jones, recently filed a countersuit. He outright denies the theft and instead claims that the assets were accumulated during his relationship with Nancy Jones through "smart crypto investments," and that he is legally entitled to a share.

The details are as follows: When West was arrested last year, police accused him of stealing approximately $400,000 in cash and over 5.5 million XRP. The case involves multiple cryptocurrencies, including XRP, ETH, DOGE, SHIB, and XLM. Nancy Jones stated that her Ledger hardware wallet was hacked; although she later recovered about 5 million XRP, roughly 483,000 XRP (worth over $1 million at current prices) remains missing.

Even more astonishing, West's countersuit not only seeks a division of assets but also requests a share of about $5 million in gold and silver and $1 million in cash. He also accuses Nancy Jones of fraud and defamation.

This case highlights a broader issue: the legal definition and ownership of crypto assets still exist in a gray area. Who invested first, who earned what, and who should get a share—these questions challenge traditional legal frameworks in the face of blockchain records. The security of Ledger wallets has also become a focal point—how were the private keys leaked? These are questions worth paying attention to.