BlockFi bankruptcy filing claims Alameda defaulted on $680M in loans
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Crypto lender BlockFi was taken down by exposure to FTX and Alameda Research, the latter of which defaulted on $680 million of collateralized loan obligations, according to a bankruptcy filing.
Why it matters: Despite claims of transparency and decentralization in crypto, the intertwined balance sheets and opaque nature of crypto lending have led to contagion in the ecosystem.
State of play: The filing from Mark Renzi of Berkeley Research Group — BlockFi's proposed financial adviser in the case — breaks down the events leading to its bankruptcy into two acts: the first related to the collapse of Luna and Three Arrows Capital (3AC) and the second due to the fall of FTX.
- At the time of its collapse, 3AC was one of BlockFi's largest borrower clients and led to losses of around $80 million, the company said in July.
Yes, but: That's nothing compared to BlockFi's exposure to FTX and sister firm Alameda Research.
- Despite a series of margin calls and recalls of open-term loans with FTX and Alameda, the filing claims BlockFi could not avoid being caught up in the collapse of those firms.
- In early November, BlockFi made a borrowing request on its loan agreement with FTX, which was not honored.
- Alameda also defaulted on approximately $680 million of collateralized loan obligations with BlockFi, according to the filing.
Between the lines: BlockFi received unaudited quarterly financial statements and crypto wallet addresses from Alameda as part of its credit evaluation process, the filing notes.
- It also had regular dialogue with Alameda staff, who "made ongoing representations regarding its financial standing, significant equity capital, and unencumbered assets on Alameda’s balance sheet."
