BlockFi bankruptcy filing triggers a wide range of community reaction

Published at: Nov. 29, 2022

As crypto lending platform BlockFi filed for bankruptcy, members of the crypto community reacted with mixed feedback as another platform fell during the current bear market. 

Despite BlockFi citing the FTX contagion as the reason for its bankruptcy filing, podcaster Matt Odell pointed out a different explanation. Odell wrote that the lending platform went bankrupt because it was lending customer funds to high-risk traders who played with leverage recklessly. “This is a tale as old as Bitcoin, leverage kills, and trusted third parties are security holes,” he added.

In a tweet, Mario Nawfal highlighted that BlockFi's bankruptcy filing was something that many members of the community anticipated. According to Nawfal, the bankruptcy filing marks the end of an era for the lending and yield-earning platform that was able to barely hang on after the Voyager and Celsius debacles.

With many losing funds during the process, some pointed their pitchforks to entrepreneur and podcaster Anthony Pompliano who introduced them to the lending platform. A Twitter user claimed that they lost most of their savings after listening to Pompliano’s podcast that recommended BlockFi.

Another community member claimed that they diversified their portfolio by putting some funds in FTX, BlockFi and Bitcoin (BTC) which Pompliano recommended. They noted that two out of the three have already gone to zero.

ShapeShift founder Erik Voorhees also reacted to information coming out that the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) is one of the creditors for BlockFi. Voorhees floated the idea of the SEC returning $70 million that they took from BlockFi in order to help the users that they should be protecting.

Related: Silvergate denies recent FUD, confirms minimal exposure to BlockFi

Meanwhile, the crypto lending platform has filed a lawsuit against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's holding company called Emergent Fidelity Technologies. BlockFi hopes to get Bankman-Fried's shares in Robinhood that were used as collateral earlier this month.

Tags
Business
Lending
Bankruptcy
Related Posts
Cred customers demand answers after platform files for bankruptcy
United States-based cryptocurrency lending service Cred filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Saturday, leaving many customers searching for solutions to get their funds. According to court documents, the legal team for Cred CEO Daniel Schatt filed bankruptcy papers for the company in the District of Delaware on Nov. 7. Cred listed its estimated assets at between $50-100 million and its estimated liabilities between $100-500 million. In an official statement, the company said it had filed for Chapter 11 in an attempt “to maximize the value of its platform for its creditors.” The bankruptcy filing comes following an Oct. 28 …
Business / Nov. 8, 2020
Texas authorities object to Voyager's disclosure statement in its current form
The Texas State Securities Board (SSB) and the Texas Department of Banking (DOB) raised an objection in court against Voyager Digital’s disclosure statement, questioning the various methodologies and calculations used to estimate the fair market value of the bankrupt exchange’s crypto assets. In a pleading filed with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, the attorneys for the SSB and DOB objected to the order approving the adequacy of Voyager’s amended disclosure statement. Voyager Digital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in New York in July 2022, while proposing a recovery plan for investors. The Texas …
Regulation / Oct. 15, 2022
New 'Celsius token' may be used to repay creditors: report
Bankrupt crypto lending firm Celsius may issue its own token to repay creditors, according to a January 24 report from Bloomberg. The report cites a video court hearing as the source of the information. According to the report, Celsius attorney Ross M. Kwasteniet told the court that the firm is negotiating with its creditors on how to relaunch the platform and adequately pay them back. The new, relaunched version would be “a publicly-traded company that is properly licensed,” which could allegedly provide more money for creditors than simply liquidating the company. If approved by creditors and the court, the reorganized …
Regulation / Jan. 24, 2023
Genesis unsecured creditors' committee appointed
A seven-member committee has been appointed to represent the interests of unsecured creditors in Genesis Global bankruptcy case, according to court filings on Feb. 4. The committee will represent the creditors in court, having the right to be consulted before major decisions and to participate in the reorganization plan. Members are generally select from a list of twenty largest unsecured creditors. Among the chosen members are Mirana Asset Management - an arm of crypto exchange Bybit, SOF International, Digital Finance Group, and crypto exchange Bitvavo, along with three individual creditors Amelia Alvarez, Richard Weston, and Teddy Andre Amadeo Goriss. The …
Business / Feb. 4, 2023
BlockFi execs, Gemini named in proposed lawsuit by a disgruntled investor
An investor with nearly $2 million worth of funds frozen in bankrupt cryptocurrency lender BlockFi has filed a class action complaint against its founders, two directors and crypto exchange Gemini. In a Feb. 28 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, investor Trey Greene accused the defendants of numerous wrongdoings, including violating the consumer fraud and exchange acts, breaching its fiduciary duties, as well as offering and selling unregistered securities. “The unregistered securities sold by the BFI [BlockFi] Defendants on behalf of BlockFi were marketed and sold via a steady stream of misrepresentations and …
Regulation / March 2, 2023