diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index a4a41bd75c8..cbe96e89238 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -180,9 +180,6 @@ configure(project(':common')) {
         compile "org.openjfx:javafx-graphics:11:$os"
         compile "com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java:$protobufVersion"
         compile 'com.google.code.gson:gson:2.7'
-        compile("com.googlecode.json-simple:json-simple:$jsonsimpleVersion") {
-            exclude(module: 'junit')
-        }
         compile "org.springframework:spring-core:$springVersion"
         compile "org.slf4j:slf4j-api:$slf4jVersion"
         compile "ch.qos.logback:logback-core:$logbackVersion"
diff --git a/common/src/main/java/bisq/common/storage/JsonFileManager.java b/common/src/main/java/bisq/common/storage/JsonFileManager.java
index 05532148fd9..19db89545f2 100644
--- a/common/src/main/java/bisq/common/storage/JsonFileManager.java
+++ b/common/src/main/java/bisq/common/storage/JsonFileManager.java
@@ -20,14 +20,9 @@
 import bisq.common.UserThread;
 import bisq.common.util.Utilities;
 
-import org.json.simple.parser.JSONParser;
-import org.json.simple.parser.ParseException;
-
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
 
 import java.io.File;
-import java.io.FileReader;
-import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
 
 import java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor;
@@ -102,15 +97,4 @@ public void writeToDisc(String json, String fileName) {
             }
         });
     }
-
-    public Object readJsonFromDisc(String fileName) {
-        final File jsonFile = new File(Paths.get(dir.getAbsolutePath(), fileName + ".json").toString());
-        JSONParser parser = new JSONParser();
-        try {
-            return parser.parse(new FileReader(jsonFile));
-        } catch (ParseException | IOException e) {
-            e.printStackTrace();
-            throw new RuntimeException(e);
-        }
-    }
 }
diff --git a/gradle/witness/gradle-witness.gradle b/gradle/witness/gradle-witness.gradle
index 4b53477e68e..1feec783cfb 100644
--- a/gradle/witness/gradle-witness.gradle
+++ b/gradle/witness/gradle-witness.gradle
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ dependencyVerification {
         'com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-annotations:2566b3a6662afa3c6af4f5b25006cb46be2efc68f1b5116291d6998a8cdf7ed3',
         'com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java:5a1e5c225791eccd3d67a598922e637406190c90155fb97f38e4eab29719324d',
         'com.google.code.gson:gson:2d43eb5ea9e133d2ee2405cc14f5ee08951b8361302fdd93494a3a997b508d32',
-        'com.googlecode.json-simple:json-simple:4e69696892b88b41c55d49ab2fdcc21eead92bf54acc588c0050596c3b75199c',
         'org.springframework:spring-core:c451e8417adb2ffb2445636da5e44a2f59307c4100037a1fe387c3fba4f29b52',
         'ch.qos.logback:logback-classic:e66efc674e94837344bc5b748ff510c37a44eeff86cbfdbf9e714ef2eb374013',
         'org.slf4j:slf4j-api:3a4cd4969015f3beb4b5b4d81dbafc01765fb60b8a439955ca64d8476fef553e',