PANews reported on January 24 that according to Cointelegraph, the crypto company Jump Trading is suing former software engineer Liam Heeger, accusing him of violating non-compete obligations and stealing the company's intellectual property to start a competing business after leaving the company. On January 21, Jump filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, stating that Heeger's company directly competes with Jump, violating the non-compete clause.
Heeger was a core engineer for Jump's main blockchain project Firedancer until he resigned in November 2024. After leaving, he announced on social media that he had founded Unto Labs, which is dedicated to developing the next-generation Layer-1 blockchain. Jump alleges that Heeger had access to and developed highly sensitive confidential information during his employment, and emphasizes that protecting intellectual property is crucial to Jump's profitability in the blockchain field.
Furthermore, Jump also accuses Heeger of starting to prepare the new company while still employed, using Jump's confidential information and intellectual property for profit. It is reported that Heeger's new company received $3 million in funding at a $50 million valuation within a month of his resignation. Jump also points out that Heeger met with venture capital firms to raise funds for his new business while still employed at Jump, and disclosed relevant information to a former colleague of Jump. Heeger also refused to comply with the non-compete agreement, citing his relocation to California. In response to Heeger's serious breach of contract, Jump is requesting the court to enforce the non-compete agreement, prevent him from starting the new business, and require him to return any company intellectual property he may still possess.
