The high-profile collapse of crypto exchange FTX has reportedly triggered a mass EXODUS from Silvergate, a crypto-friendly bank.
According to a new by The Wall Street Journal, the disintegration of the FTX ecosystem led to over $8 billion worth of withdrawals from Silvergate, a bank known for embracing digital assets.
In response to the outflow of funds, the bank cut its workforce by 40%, scrapped plans to create its own digital asset, and liquidated $718 million in debt holdings on its balance sheet.
The company’s stock price has also tumbled by over 70% over the last three months.
Silvergate, which became a publicly traded company in 2019, is known for serving crypto firms, handling their virtual assets and operating a platform that links traders to crypto exchanges.
During the time of FTX’s collapse, Silvergate held about $1 billion worth of assets that belonged to FTX and other firms affiliated with it, according to the report.
The report also finds that Silvergate sold off most of its traditional banking operations to focus on the crypto industry. Silvergate isn’t structured like other banks and thus was able to survive the massive outflow of funds.
Though the markets have been turbulent, Silvergate told The Wall Street Journal that it still believes in cryptocurrencies.
“While Silvergate is taking decisive action to navigate the current environment, its mission has not changed. Silvergate believes in the digital asset industry.”
