This decision comes after both individuals worked closely on the rust-lightning project since 2018, a period before Square Crypto was established. Their collaboration history is significant as it underscores their deep familiarity with each other, which is crucial given the nature of the disagreements that have arisen.

Riard's move towards litigation stems from a desire to prevent further misrepresentation and manipulation by third parties, a situation he believes Corallo has previously orchestrated to serve personal and possibly commercial interests. The dispute has attracted attention from journalists and individuals outside Riard's usual network, prompting him to publicly clarify the nature of the conflict. He emphasizes that the issues at hand are unrelated to US national security or intelligence agencies but are instead rooted in a fundamental disagreement between two open-source software (OSS) contributors over governance and respect within OSS projects.

The core of the disagreement lies in differing views on leadership and contribution within open-source projects. Riard accuses Corallo of adopting a dictatorial stance, expecting unquestioned obedience from other contributors and allegedly threatening those who oppose him. In contrast, Riard advocates for a more collaborative and respectful approach to open-source development.

Riard views the legal system as a civilized means of resolving such disputes, acknowledging that the process may be lengthy but emphasizing the importance of judicial opinion in matters of principle, including the interpretation of "decentralization" within the context of open-source projects. The outcome could potentially set a precedent, with Riard expressing willingness to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court of the United States if necessary.