nChain UK wins whistleblowing case as tribunal dismisses claims as groundless

nChain UK says the London Central Employment Tribunal rejected whistleblowing claims from two former senior executives and found the allegations had no substance. The ruling matters because it clears the blockchain patent company of the main claims while noting only a minor procedural error in one dismissal case.

Why it matters: - The ruling removes a major legal challenge facing nChain UK after two former senior executives accused the company of unfair dismissal tied to whistleblowing. - The tribunal’s findings also validate nChain’s account that the dismissals followed gross misconduct, not protected disclosures.

What happened: - The London Central Employment Tribunal rejected whistleblowing claims brought by former Group General Counsel David Brookes and former Group Chief Financial Officer Andrew Moody. - The tribunal sat in Holborn, London, and heard the case from 19 January to 6 February 2026. - nChain said the board and shareholders welcomed the outcome on 30 June 2026.

The details: - The tribunal found neither claimant made any protected disclosures. - The panel ruled the pair’s allegations were “absurd,” “entirely without substance,” and “very much reverse engineered.” - The court said, in effect, that Brookes and Moody were not whistleblowers. - nChain said the dismissals followed an internal disciplinary process after an office incident on 27 September 2023. - The company said the men were dismissed in November 2023 for gross misconduct. - nChain described the 27 September incident as an attempted takeover of the London office involving shredded documents, taped-over CCTV cameras, pulled cables, threats to an IT staff member, and attempted access to servers. - nChain said former chief executive Christen Ager-Hanssen led the attempted takeover. - The company said Ager-Hanssen claimed without grounds that a 2023 refinancing deal was fraudulent and used that claim to rally supporters. - nChain said Brookes and Moody supported Ager-Hanssen during the incident. - A law firm investigation by Jones Day did not uphold allegations of impropriety. - The judge described that investigation as “rigorous and independent.” - The tribunal found Brookes had no genuine belief in the claims and was acting to further Ager-Hanssen’s agenda. - The tribunal found Moody was prepared to be dishonest for Ager-Hanssen and had been willing to include misleading information in financial reports. - The judge said both men were entirely responsible for the reasons they were dismissed. - The tribunal found one procedural error in Moody’s case. - Even so, the court said it was “inconceivable” Moody would not have been dismissed, and awarded him nothing.

Between the lines: - The ruling appears to close off the core whistleblowing narrative and shifts the legal focus to conduct, credibility, and internal process. - The tribunal’s mixed finding on procedure suggests nChain won the substance of the dispute, while still facing a narrow reminder on employment-process compliance. - The judge’s language signals a sharply adverse view of the claimants’ evidence and motives.

What's next: - nChain said it will move quickly to address any shortcomings identified in its internal disciplinary procedures. - Lawyers for nChain said the judgment fully vindicates the company and rejected the whistleblowing complaints in their entirety. - The company said it wants to put the matter behind it.