Summary
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A former Rippling employee has confessed to corporate espionage, claiming he was paid $5,000 monthly in Ethereum by competitor Deel to gather and transmit confidential information.
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The alleged spy stated Deel executives chose Ethereum for payments to avoid traceability, and that he provided information about Rippling’s strategy and customer data, as directed by Deel’s CEO.
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Rippling has filed a lawsuit against Deel regarding the espionage claims, and the former employee ultimately confessed to his actions, citing a desire to rectify the situation despite concerns about Deel’s power and influence.
In a plot twist worthy of a spy thriller, a former Rippling employee is claiming he was remunerated in Ethereum, accepting a monthly sum of $5,000, to secretly gather intelligence for Deel, a rival company.
An individual from Ireland has reportedly confessed to participating in corporate espionage, admitting he received cryptocurrency payments of $5,000 each month to act as an informant within the payroll management firm Rippling for the benefit of competitor Deel.
This elaborate scheme, resembling something from a Hollywood movie, has garnered international media attention and reportedly even involved discussions about fleeing to Dubai.
Court documents filed in Dublin, containing an affidavit dated April 1st from Keith O’Brien, detail allegations that he commenced his role as a corporate spy for Deel in September of the previous year, while still under Rippling’s employment.
O’Brien’s sworn testimony states that between September 2024 and March 2025, he allegedly used the messaging platform Telegram to regularly transmit information concerning Rippling’s strategic direction and insights into their clientele to Deel’s CEO, Alex Bouaziz.
This exchange reportedly occurred “multiple times a day every workday” and occasionally extended into weekends.
According to O’Brien’s statement, “[Deel’s CEO] suggested that I continue working at Rippling while becoming an ‘insider’ for Deel, and I recall a specific reference to the character of James Bond.”
Executives at Deel allegedly compensated O’Brien with $5,000 in Ethereum each month for his clandestine activities.
They purportedly justified the cryptocurrency payment method as a way to “leave no trace,” according to O’Brien.
Whistleblower Claims Deel CEO Recruited Him for Corporate Espionage Scheme
The self-proclaimed spy states he received the digital currency in his Blockchain.com wallet, converting it to traditional currency and transferring it to his bank account due to apprehensions about the volatile nature of cryptocurrency values.
This admission follows closely on the heels of a lawsuit initiated by Rippling against Deel in a San Francisco federal court.
Rippling accuses Deel of orchestrating “a premeditated and illegal scheme of corporate espionage.”
This legal conflict marks the latest episode in the ongoing rivalry between the two HR software companies, both of which achieved valuations exceeding $10 billion several years prior by focusing on solutions for managing remote workforces—a sector that has experienced shifts in the post-pandemic work landscape.
The timing of this lawsuit is also notable as it unfolds while the cryptocurrency sector actively seeks to repair its public image, countering persistent narratives that digital assets are primarily used by criminal elements to conceal illicit activities.
Disclosure: DASTAN, the parent entity of Decrypt, previously held a client relationship with Deel and currently has a contract with Rippling.
O’Brien’s statement further alleges that Bouaziz frequently tasked him with searching for specific details related to Rippling’s operations using internal company systems, including Slack, Salesforce, and Google Drive.
The executive allegedly instructed O’Brien to input specific search terms such as “Tom Brady,” “Iran,” “tiny bird,” and “sanctioned countries” into Rippling’s internal databases, according to the affidavit.
The former insider also claims that Bouaziz appeared to have a particular interest in acquiring information regarding Deel’s competitors who had registered for product demonstrations from Rippling.
The alleged espionage abruptly concluded in mid-March when O’Brien was presented with a court order at Rippling’s Dublin office by an independent legal representative, demanding the inspection of his electronic devices.
That same evening, lawyers representing Deel reportedly contacted O’Brien to discuss the possibility of him relocating to Dubai with his family.
After being served the order, O’Brien allegedly performed a factory reset on his mobile phone before physically destroying it with an axe and disposing of the remnants in a drain at his mother’s residence, all purportedly under the direction of Deel’s legal counsel.
However, nearly two weeks later, he decided to confess to his alleged actions.
“I realized that in protecting Deel, I was causing harm to myself and my family,” he stated in his affidavit.
“My concerns about the wealth and influence of [Deel’s executives] remain, but… I am determined to take steps to begin rectifying these wrongs and making amends.”
Also Read: lawmaker said, ‘Western Agencies Funding Russian Spy Operas with Crypto’
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