U.S. high-frequency trading firm Jump Trading has filed a lawsuit against a former software developer, alleging he stole the company’s intellectual property (IP) to launch a competing business. The complaint was submitted in a Chicago federal court on January 21 against Liam Heeger, who was a lead software engineer on Jump’s major blockchain project, Firedancer.
According to the lawsuit, Heeger worked on Firedancer from February 2023 until his resignation on November 11, 2024. Jump claims he breached his contract by starting a new venture, Unto Labs, which aims to develop a “next-generation layer-1 blockchain.” Heeger announced his departure from Firedancer on January 22 via a post on X.
Jump alleges that Heeger began working on Unto Labs while still employed and had significant access to confidential information, including business plans, blockchain models, and unreleased code. The company emphasized that its profitability in the blockchain sector relies on maintaining the confidentiality of its IP.
The firm claims Heeger raised $3 million in funding for Unto Labs shortly after resigning, and that he met with venture capitalists at the Breakpoint conference in Singapore while still working for Jump. They also allege he disclosed sensitive information to a former colleague after leaving the company and indicated he would no longer adhere to his non-competition agreement, citing a move to California, where laws differ from Illinois.
Jump is seeking a court order to enforce the non-competition agreement for two years and to prevent anyone from collaborating with Heeger on the new venture. Additionally, the company is requesting Heeger return any IP he may still possess. Heeger and Unto Labs have not yet responded to the lawsuit.
Source: Crypto Time
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