Genesis Could File for Bankruptcy Without Funding

  • Bloomberg sources have said that Genesis warned investors it could possibly file for bankruptcy if it fails to cover a $1 billion shortfall caused by the collapse of FTX.
  • Crypto exchange Gemini, whose Earn program was affected by Genesis’ withdrawal suspension, noted it continues to work with the company to fulfil its obligation to Earn users.
Genesis

Shutterstock

Crypto lending company Genesis could potentially file for bankruptcy should it fail to raise fresh capital and cover a $1 billion shortfall from FTX’s collapse, Bloomberg reported on 21 November.

The publication cited “people with knowledge of the matter”, who said the firm was having a difficult time raising money for its lending business, which has faced a liquidity crunch ever since FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The individuals also noted that Genesis warned investors that if it fails to raise fresh capital it could potentially file for bankruptcy. A spokesperson for the company said in a statement:

“We have no plans to file bankruptcy imminently. Our goal is to resolve the current situation consensually without the need for any bankruptcy filing. Genesis continues to have constructive conversations with creditors.”

Last week, Genesis Global Capital announced it would “temporarily suspend” redemptions and new loan originations due to the “unprecedented market turmoil” caused by the collapse of FTX, where it had $175 million in locked assets. The Wall Street Journal later reported that the company had tried to seek an emergency loan of $1 billion from investors before it decided to suspend withdrawals on the platform. The publication also claimed that Genesis had turned to Binance and Apollo Global Management for help, and that Binance had declined to invest due to potential conflicts of interest.

Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini was also affected at the time, and revealed it would not be able to meet customer redemptions for its Earn program in the service-level agreement’s time frame of five days as Genesis was its lending partner. Gemini provided an update earlier today, noting that it is working with Genesis — and its parent company Digital Currency Group — to explore every possible option that will allow it to fulfill its obligations to Earn users.

Discussion
Related Coverage
SVB’s Parent Company Files for Bankruptcy
  • SVB Financial Group has filed for a Chapter 11 court-supervised reorganization in the U.S. in order to “preserve value”.
  • The company stressed it is no longer affiliated with Silicon Valley Bank, the closure of which sent ripples across the crypto industry.
a day ago
svb

Shutterstock

Judge Denies Government’s Request to Pause Voyager-Binance Deal
  • A bankruptcy judge has denied the government’s request to halt the deal between Voyager and Binance, arguing that further delays would only harm customers.
  • The government argued the deal should be amended, or struck down, because it seeks to effectively absolve Voyager and its staff of violations of tax or securities law.
Voyager Digital Receives Court Approval to Sale Assets to Binance.US
  • Bankruptcy Judge Michael Wiles gave Voyager the permission to close its $1 billion deal with Binance.US, and issue repayment tokens to affected customers.
  • Judge Wiles also rejected the SEC’s arguments that the deal could potentially violate U.S. securities laws, and criticized the regulator for attacking the sale without first concluding if it was illegal.