Virtual currency custody solutions provider Prime Trust has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy following a liquidity crisis that community members say has been brewing for several months.<\/p>\n
The company made the filing on August 14, noting that the bankruptcy procedure will \u201cprovide a transparent and value-maximizing process for the benefit of the Company\u2019s clients and stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the filing document, Prime Trust says it currently has liabilities in excess of $500 million from 50,000 customers. The filing revealed gaping shortfalls in customer funds that led Nevada regulators to issue a cease-and-desist order against Prime Trust, placing the company into receivership in June.<\/p>\n
Per the filing, Prime Trust disclosed that it is open to a range of options to make affected customers whole, including the sale of assets. Apart from grappling with settling customers, Prime Trust remarks that it will continue to pay remuneration for its employees in the hopes of emerging \u201cas a going concern.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prime Trust\u2019s liquidity issues do not come as a surprise for several industry participants as the earliest cracks began appearing early in the year. Virtual currency service providers BitGO and CoinMetro raised alarm over Prime Trust\u2019s operational issues in June but others are pointing to the firm\u2019s rocky partnership with Fireblocks in 2021 as the earliest signs of crisis.<\/p>\n
As the firm\u2019s troubles came to light, several pundits accused the firm of operating a Ponzi scheme, hinting their theories on the financial troubles of its subsidiaries. The Nevada Financial Institutions Division (NFID) seemingly confirmed their fears following a June 22 announcement that it was investigating the firm for \u201cbreaching its fiduciary duties to its clients.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLooks like a bunch more people are going to be getting in line in bankruptcy court,\u201d <\/em>predicted an X user. \u201cPrime Trust is going Prime Bust. The real question is how long has the money been missing, and where did it go?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Following the rough patch faced by Prime Trust, virtual currency service providers relying on the firm for custody solutions moved to withdraw assets while assuring customers of the safety of their funds. However, Coinbits raised alarm over its inability to recover funds with Prime Trust, stating that it was misled by claims of regular audits and strict regulatory compliance.<\/p>\n The cryptoverse has gone through the throes of several high-profile bankruptcies in the last 12 months, triggering greater regulatory scrutiny and bearish sentiments. Celsius and Three Arrow Capital (3AC) triggered the wave of bankruptcies, dragging several entities underwater with them.<\/p>\n As the year wore on, Genesis, BlockFi, Voyager Digital, and mining firm Core Scientific joined the list of digital asset companies with debilitating liquidity crises. The most poignant of bankruptcies was FTX\u2019s collapse in November 2022 which led to losses running into billions for unsuspecting users.<\/p>\nAn avalanche of bankruptcies<\/h2>\n