Rippling Ex-employee alleges he engaged in corporate espionage. He states he received Ethereum payments in exchange for providing confidential information to Deel, a competitor company.
Keith O’Brien, formerly employed by Rippling, a payroll management firm, admits to spying for Deel, a competitor.
Court documents filed in Dublin indicate O’Brien claims Deel paid him $5,000 in Ethereum each month for this activity.
Ethereum Used for Alleged Payments in Corporate Spying Case
The alleged espionage has drawn international media attention and reportedly included discussions of O’Brien relocating to Dubai.
O’Brien’s affidavit, signed April 1 and filed in Dublin court, states his corporate spying for Deel began in September 2024 while Rippling still employed him.
He claims that from September 2024 to March 2025, he sent Rippling’s corporate strategy and customer insights to Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz via Telegram.
O’Brien asserts he transmitted information “multiple times daily on workdays” and occasionally on weekends, according to his sworn statement.
In his statement, O’Brien relays that Deel’s CEO suggested he remain at Rippling and become a “spy” for Deel, referencing James Bond.
Deel executives allegedly paid O’Brien $5,000 monthly in Ethereum for espionage, explaining that this payment method would be untraceable.
O’Brien reports receiving Ethereum in a Blockchain.com wallet and then converting it to traditional currency due to cryptocurrency volatility concerns.
Rippling filed a lawsuit against Deel in San Francisco federal court weeks before this admission.
Rippling accuses Deel of orchestrating “a calculated and unlawful corporate espionage scheme.”
The lawsuit highlights the competitive context between these HR software companies, both previously valued above $10 billion.
Both specialize in remote workforce management solutions, a market that has shifted since the pandemic.
The lawsuit’s timing occurs as the cryptocurrency industry attempts to improve its public image, pushing back against claims that digital assets primarily facilitate illegal activities.
Disclosure: DASTAN, Decrypt’s parent company, has had a client relationship with Deel and currently contracts with Rippling.
O’Brien’s statement details instructions from Bouaziz to search Rippling’s internal systems – Slack, Salesforce, and Google Drive – for specific business information.
The affidavit says the executive directed O’Brien to search Rippling’s internal databases using search terms such as “Tom brady,” “iran,” “tinybird,” and “sanctioned countries.”
He also claims Bouaziz showed particular interest in data about Deel’s competitors registering for Rippling product demonstrations.
The alleged scheme ended in mid-March when a solicitor served O’Brien a court order at Rippling’s Dublin office, requiring inspection of his devices.
Deel’s lawyers subsequently discussed with O’Brien the possibility of Dubai relocation with his family.
O’Brien reports he then factory reset and destroyed his phone, disposing of it under Deel legal counsel’s advice.
Approximately two weeks later, O’Brien decided to confess to the alleged actions.
He states in his affidavit that he realized protecting Deel was harming himself and his family.
Despite continued concerns regarding Deel’s executives’ influence, O’Brien expressed his wish to make amends.
