Genesis Global Capital, a crypto lending firm facing bankruptcy, has sought approval from the United States Bankruptcy Court to liquidate approximately $1.6 billion worth of shares in the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE), and Grayscale Ethereum Classic Trust (ETCG).
In a recent court filing, Genesis emphasized the urgency of this request, highlighting the need to obtain approval to sell these trust assets to preempt any potential fluctuations in the prices of the underlying assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), and Ethereum Classic.
Their primary objective is to maximize the available funds for distribution to creditors.
Genesis’s portfolio is predominantly composed of GBTC shares, accounting for approximately 87% of their total holdings, valued at $1.38 billion.
Meanwhile, ETHE makes up around 10% of their holdings, approximately $169 million, and ETHCG represents about 3%, totaling $38 million.
The filing reveals that as of September 2023, GBTC held about 3.2% of all circulating Bitcoin, while in December 2022, ETHE had roughly 2.5% of all circulating Ethereum, and ETCG held approximately 8.5% of all circulating Ethereum Classic.
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Genesis noted that the recent conversion of GBTC into a spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) allowed for the redemption of shares in cash through its redemption program, following approval from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on January 10.
However, the Ethereum trusts (ETHE and ETCG) do not have a redemption program, requiring written consent from the sponsor to sell or dispose of the shares. Genesis has requested the waiver of this written approval.
Recent reports have shown a significant sell-off of GBTC shares since its conversion.
On January 22, FTX, a bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, sold 22 million GBTC shares valued at nearly $1 billion, fully liquidating its holdings.
In contrast, Genesis has expressed its intention to maximize the proceeds from the sale of these crypto assets.
The filing also emphasizes the commitment of both Genesis and Gemini (the sponsor) to make reasonable efforts to maximize the market price of any Trust Assets or Initial GBTC Shares and the proceeds received from their sale or redemption.
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