A former senior executive at cryptocurrency exchange Binance has come forward with allegations of retaliatory firing after she reported a colleague’s involvement in a bribery scheme. Amrita Srivastava, who worked remotely on Binance’s Link platform from London, claimed that she was dismissed shortly after bringing to light that a colleague was accepting bribes from customers in exchange for faster integration services.
Srivastava, who joined Binance in April 2022 after working at Mastercard, expressed her initial belief in the company’s commitment to compliance amidst regulatory challenges. However, she described a chaotic work environment and increased pressure to close deals following the loss of revenue from a client with suspected ties to Iran.
According to Srivastava, she reported the bribery incident to her managers in April 2023, only to be terminated a month later for alleged poor performance. Binance has refuted the allegations, stating that Srivastava’s dismissal was unrelated to her whistleblowing and that the bribery claims were already under internal review.
Nevertheless, Srivastava maintains that her firing was directly connected to her decision to report the misconduct. Under UK law, whistleblowing cases in employment tribunals have no financial cap, potentially exposing Binance to significant liabilities if Srivastava’s claims are upheld. She has expressed the damage caused to her career and reputation by her experience at Binance, which she believes will take years to rectify.
The situation highlights the importance of workplace integrity and the challenges faced by whistleblowers in coming forward with allegations of misconduct. It serves as a reminder of the potential repercussions faced by individuals who speak out against unethical behavior within organizations.