How crypto lender Celsius stumbled on risky bank-like investments

  • 📰 ChannelNewsAsia
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 67 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 30%
  • Publisher: 66%

Singapore Headlines News

Singapore Latest News,Singapore Headlines

Celsius Network, the retail crypto lending platform whose liquidity problems have sent cryptocurrencies plunging, stumbled on complex investments in the wholesale digital asset market in what analysts say was akin to a traditional bank run. Citing extreme market conditions, New Jersey-based Celsius this w

Celsius Network, the retail crypto lending platform whose liquidity problems have sent cryptocurrencies plunging, stumbled on complex investments in the wholesale digital asset market in what analysts say was akin to a traditional bank run.

Celsius appears to have stumbled on its wholesale crypto investments, according to public blockchain information and analysts who track such data. As those investments soured, the company was unable to meet redemptions from customers fleeing amid the broader crypto market slump, analysts said. Celsius' problems date back to at least December when, at the hands of hackers, it lost $54 million worth of bitcoin it had invested with DeFi platform BadgerDao, according to public blockchain data. At the time, Mashinsky said Celsius lost money, but did not disclose how much.

The company's biggest misstep, though, appears to have been its decision to invest customers' ether tokens with Lido Finance, a DeFi platform offering investors the chance to profit from a new version of ether that is in development. The investments are known as"staked" ether, or stETH. That discrepancy will have made it difficult for Celsius to convert its stETH back to ether to meet customer withdrawals, said analysts.The slump in bitcoin, which has shed about half its value this year, has also pressured Celsius. It pledged crypto assets pegged to bitcoin as collateral against a loan of other cryptocurrencies, according to Thurman. As bitcoin fell, Celsius had to top up that collateral, said Thurman.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 6. in SG

Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Bitcoin tumbles amid crypto contagion fears after Celsius Network freezes withdrawalsWASHINGTON - Bitcoin fell as much as 14 per cent on Monday (June 13) after major US cryptocurrency lending company Celsius Network froze withdrawals and transfers citing 'extreme' market conditions, in the latest sign of the financial market downturn hitting the crypto sphere. The Celsius move triggered a slide across cryptocurrencies, with their value dropping below US$1 trillion (S$1.39 trillion)...
Source: asiaonecom - 🏆 10. / 59 Read more »

No let up in crypto slide as Celsius halt leaves investors 'panicking'HONG KONG : Cryptocurrencies tumbled afresh on Tuesday, with bitcoin and ether falling to new 18-month lows, after major cryptocurrency lending company Celsius Network's freezing of withdrawals delivered the latest jolt to investors in the asset-class.Bitcoin fell as much as 7.2 per cent to $20,816 its lo Crypto investors should be used to panicking now🤣
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Celsius hires lawyers to restructure business after freezing withdrawals - WSJCrypto lender Celsius Network LLC has hired restructuring attorneys from law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP to advise on possible solutions for its mounting financial problems, the Wall Street Journal reported https://on.wsj.com/3zDL82U on Tuesday.Celsius is first looking for possible financing o
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Singapore-based Crypto.com slashes 260 jobs amid 'crypto winter'The Singapore-based digital currency exchange said it was a 'difficult and necessary' decision.
Source: YahooSG - 🏆 3. / 71 Read more »

The world of crypto lendingLONDON: Major US cryptocurrency lending company Celsius Network froze withdrawals and transfers on Monday, citing \u0022extreme\u0022 market conditions, sparking a sell-off across crypto markets. Here\u0027s what you need to know about crypto lending - a corner of the digital asset market that has boomed over the la
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »

Crypto firm BlockFi to cut headcount by 20%Cryptocurrency firm BlockFi said on Monday it would reduce its headcount by about 20 per cent as it takes on a strategic review of its priorities amid difficult market conditions.BlockFi said the job cuts will impact every team in the firm.The layoffs come at a time when inflation in the United Sta
Source: ChannelNewsAsia - 🏆 6. / 66 Read more »