Sequoia Capital Stands by Multimillion-Dollar Investment in Bankrupt Crypto Exchange FTX
June 23 (Cointime) - Alfred Lin, a partner at Sequoia Capital, defended the firm's investment in FTX, a now-bankrupt crypto exchange. Despite the loss, Lin stated that if given the opportunity to evaluate FTX again, Sequoia would likely make the same investment decision. Sequoia Capital invested a total of $213.5 million in FTX and FTX US through two of its funds, with the Global Growth Fund III holding a $150 million investment in FTX. Some users of the bankrupt exchange are now suing Sequoia and other financiers for their involvement in a promotional marketing campaign that added an "air of legitimacy" to FTX.
BitGo Cancels Acquisition of Prime Trust, Leading to Suspension of Withdrawals
June 23 (Cointime) - BitGo, the US-based crypto custodian platform, has cancelled its acquisition of Prime Trust, leading to Prime Trust suspending withdrawals. The acquisition was intended to provide financial support to Prime Trust, which has been facing bankruptcy challenges. Prime Trust has also faced other challenges, including replacing its CEO and staff layoffs, and being targeted in lawsuits by crypto lending firm Celsius. TUSD issuer TrueUSD has assured its customers that it has no exposure to Prime Trust, while crypto exchange CoinMetro has had to suspend USD withdrawals as it uses Prime Trust as its payments partner.
Hedge Fund Arm of Bankrupt FTX Empire Seeks Return of $700M Paid for Access to Celebrities and Politicians
June 23 (Cointime) - Alameda Research, the hedge fund division of FTX, which filed for bankruptcy in November, is seeking the return of $700 million that founder Sam Bankman-Fried allegedly paid to "super networkers" Michael Kives and Bryan Baum for access to celebrities and politicians.
Robert Kiyosaki Predicts More US Banks to Fail, Warns Mortgage Lender on the Verge of Bankruptcy
June 20 (Cointime) - Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, believes that the banking industry crisis is ongoing and warns that LoanDepot, a California-based mortgage lender, may be on the verge of bankruptcy. Despite cutting 6,100 jobs, LoanDepot reportedly lost $610.40 million last year.
Voyager Customers to Withdraw 35% of Frozen Crypto Assets as Platform Reopens
June 15 (Cointime) - Voyager customers, whose assets were frozen almost a year ago, will soon be able to withdraw around 35% of their crypto. The bankrupt crypto lender's platform is set to reopen between June 20 and July 5, allowing creditors to make withdrawals.
FTX Granted Permission To Remove Individual Customers From Bankruptcy Filings
FTX, a bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, has been allowed to permanently remove individual customer names from court filings to protect their safety. However, the names of companies and institutional investors will only be temporarily sealed for 90 days. FTX has argued that disclosing customer names could harm the sale value of the exchange, and mainstream media outlets have pushed for access to the list. The decision was made by United States Bankruptcy Judge John Dorsey in Wilmington, Delaware, who stated that protecting customers from scams was a priority.
US Government Challenges Bankrupt Bittrex’s Proposal To Return Customer Cash and Crypto
The US government has filed a legal challenge against Bittrex's proposal to return customer cash and crypto, as the company still owes millions for sanctions violations. Bittrex's US arm filed for bankruptcy in May after being accused of operating an unlawful securities exchange and reaching a settlement with the Treasury.
Coinbase's Consortium Emerges as Top Bidder for Celsius Network's Bankruptcy Auction
The bankruptcy auction for Celsius Network is coming to a close, with a consortium of investors led by TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington's Arrington Capital and including Coinbase emerging as the top bidder for the bankrupt crypto lender's assets.
Voyager Digital's Bankruptcy Plan Approved by U.S. Judge, Customers to Recover Only 35% of Cryptocurrency Deposits
Crypto lender Voyager Digital has been approved to liquidate its assets after filing for bankruptcy protection last July due to volatility in cryptocurrency markets and a default on a large loan made to crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital. Customers will only recover about 35% of their cryptocurrency deposits as the company winds down its operations after a failed buyout attempt by crypto exchange Binance.US. Voyager’s bankruptcy case was complicated by two failed sale attempts during the bankruptcy process. The company intends to repay customers with the same type of cryptocurrency that they had in their accounts, but for deposits held in unsupported cryptocurrencies and for Voyager’s proprietary VGX token, Voyager will instead repay customers using the Circle’s stablecoin USDC.
Bittrex Crypto Exchange Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection Following SEC Lawsuit
Bittrex, a popular cryptocurrency trading exchange, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. This comes after the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against it for allegedly operating an unregistered national securities exchange, clearing agency, and broker house. The bankruptcy filing covers different entities under Bittrex, including those based in Seattle, Malta, and Germany, but not the global entity based in Liechtenstein. The filing reveals that Bittrex has over 100,000 creditors, with OFAC topping the list with a claim of $24.2 million.
