In a major indicator of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) contagion spreading, crypto clients of payroll processor Rippling could not pay their employees on Friday.
Rippling — one of the top options for crypto companies to compensate their employees, according to industry participants — has “historically relied on SVB rails for our payroll and other products,” CEO Parker Conrad said on Twitter.
Two sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed that digital asset firms were among those affected, and one said Rippling has told its customers that the firm is in the process of switching its banking partner to JPMorgan.
Rippling, which has been previously backed by venture giant Sequoia, eclipsed an $11 billion valuation in its Series D capital raise, disclosed in May 2022
According to sources, Rippling started to notify service provider counterparts and related entities that payroll payouts would be delayed before news of SVB’s forced closure started to percolate.
A number of firms, including digital assets investment managers, were among those already or potentially impacted — with the initial word being that their employees would be paid later in the day on Friday than usual.
That initial delay appears to be delayed again, according to one crypto hedge fund manager who is a Rippling client, as word spread that the insolvent SBV would not be able to facilitate transactions until Monday at the earliest.
Rippling customers have been asking the payroll processor, which also provides IT and HR solutions, if it’s possible in the interim to funnel their pending payroll payouts through another bank in the meantime.
Conrad on Twitter on Friday said that “going forward, payroll runs through Rippling will have no exposure to SVB.”
“Today’s payment delay is a result of pay runs initiated early this week, with funds in-flight through SVB,” he said. Our full focus is on getting these employees paid as quickly as possible.”
A Rippling spokesperson referred Blockworks to Conrad’s tweet, when contacted for comment.
