Bank May Go Bust Due To FTX Collapse

Longtime Slashdot reader smooth wombat writes: Late Wednesday night, Silvergate Capital informed the SEC it won't be able to file its annual report on time, and is determining if it can continue to operate. Unlike most traditional banks which have steered clear of crypto, Silvergate is a dominant lender to the crypto industry. The La Jolla, California-based bank reported a $1 billion loss for the fourth quarter as investors panicked over the collapse of FTX, the exchange founded by Sam Bankman-Fried that is now at the center of a massive federal fraud investigation. FTX's collapse in November rippled through the digital asset sector, forcing several firms to halt operations and even declare bankruptcy as liquidity dried up and investors fled. But unlike FTX, BlockFi, Celsius, Voyager and other crypto companies that folded last year, Silvergate is a traditional, federally-insured lender that has positioned itself as a gateway to the crypto sector. Coinbase, the largest U.S. crypto exchange, severed ties with Silvergate. The company tweeted: "Out of an abundance of caution, Coinbase is no longer accepting or initiating payments to or from Silvergate." Galaxy Digital, a crypto financial services company, issued a similar statement: "In light of recent developments, Galaxy has stopped accepting or initiating transfers to Silvergate. As a firm, we continue to have no material exposure to Silvergate, and this action was taken out of an abundance of caution."

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