Voyager Digital Suspends All Trading Deposits And Withdrawals - California Business Journal (2024)

Voyager Digital said that all trading, deposits, withdrawals, and customer reward programs have ended in a statement. Friday afternoon, the statement came out. Stephen Ehrlich, the CEO of Voyager, said that even though this was a hard decision, they think it’s the right one given how the industry is doing. If you are interested in bitcoin trading, you should look into various websites such as Bitcoin Storm app.

Erlich said the change would give the company more time to “explore strategic options with several interested partners.” He also said that more information would be given “right time.”

Voyager’s comment comes when margin calls and defaults are causing a lot of trouble in the business world. The digital broker is the most recent person to lose money because many people sell cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin and Ether, the two most-traded cryptocurrencies, have lost more than 70% of their value since their peaks in November 2017. Also, when the UST stablecoin failed in May, it sent shock waves through an already troubled market.

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A few days ago, it was said that one of Voyager’s customers owed several hundred million dollars that hadn’t been paid back. People worried that this would hurt the business in the long run.

In a letter sent on Monday, the broker said that the big cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) had not paid back a debt of more than $670 million. At the time, Voyager told 3AC it would try to get the money back. In the meantime, it was said that the ATM would stay open and let people buy things and take money out.

Voyager said on June 24 that it had about $137 million in cash and digital money in the United States. Sam Bankman-Fried, who started FTX, also started a quantitative trading company called Alameda Ventures. This company gave FTX access to a credit line for $200 million in cash and USDC stablecoins and a credit line for $318 million for 15,000 bitcoin.

Alameda said last Thursday that it would give $500 million to Voyager. The company has borrowed $75 million from its credit line in the past, but it looks like that wasn’t enough to keep doing business as usual.

Based on their market value, Bitcoin and Ethereum are the two most valuable cryptocurrencies in the world. Still, investors don’t seem too worried at the moment. Near the end of a normal trading day on Wall Street, the price of bitcoin has gone up by about 2%, and the price of Ethereum has gone up by more than 4%.

Voyager competes with BlockFi, a new business that lets people borrow bitcoins. BlockFi and Voyager have lost money because there isn’t enough money in the market. The Block says that FTX just signed a $680 million credit agreement so it can buy BlockFi.

Voyager users won’t be able to switch accounts, move money between accounts, or take money out of their accounts after June 13. This is similar to what a popular website for staking and lending bitcoins did. Because “the market was so bad,” the same thing happened again on June 13. Celsius hasn’t said what we should do yet.

When Voyager’s clients gave it money, it was put into pools of assets

From what was shown in court, Voyager did not keep each user’s bitcoin in a separate wallet.
Sam Bankman-Alameda Fried did work for Voyager that was worth $376,8 million. This makes it the second-biggest creditor to the company.

After that, where should they go?

Experts say that people who borrowed bitcoins from companies like Celsius Network that went out of business may be able to write them off as bad debt. Shehan Chandrasekera, a certified public accountant and the chief tax strategist at CoinTracker, told CNBC that money that is “totally useless and can’t be gotten back” is a loss.

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As an expert in the field of cryptocurrency, blockchain, and financial technology, I have extensive knowledge of the concepts and events discussed in the article about Voyager Digital suspending all trading, deposits, and withdrawals. My expertise is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the cryptocurrency market, including its dynamics, challenges, and key players. I have actively followed developments in the industry and possess a wealth of firsthand information that allows me to analyze and interpret complex situations.

In the provided article, Voyager Digital announced the cessation of all trading activities, deposits, withdrawals, and customer reward programs. This decision, attributed to CEO Stephen Ehrlich, was justified based on the challenging conditions within the industry. As an enthusiast with a deep understanding of the cryptocurrency market, I can shed light on various concepts mentioned in the article:

  1. Market Conditions and Industry Trends:

    • The article discusses the challenges faced by Voyager Digital in the context of margin calls, defaults, and the broader impact of cryptocurrency market fluctuations.
    • Bitcoin and Ether, the two most-traded cryptocurrencies, are reported to have lost more than 70% of their value since their peaks in November 2017.
    • The failure of the UST stablecoin in May is highlighted as a factor that further destabilized an already troubled market.
  2. Financial Struggles and Debt Issues:

    • Voyager faced financial troubles, with one of its customers reportedly owing several hundred million dollars that had not been repaid.
    • A significant debt of over $670 million from the cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC) was mentioned in a letter from Voyager.
  3. Strategic Decision-Making:

    • Voyager's CEO, Stephen Ehrlich, mentioned that the decision to halt trading activities was a difficult one but deemed necessary given the industry's current state.
    • The company aims to explore strategic options with interested partners, suggesting a potential shift in business direction.
  4. Market Value and Investor Sentiment:

    • Bitcoin and Ethereum are highlighted as the two most valuable cryptocurrencies globally based on their market value.
    • Despite the challenges faced by Voyager, the article notes that investors don't seem overly concerned, with Bitcoin and Ethereum prices experiencing positive movements near the end of a trading day on Wall Street.
  5. Competition and Industry Dynamics:

    • Voyager is mentioned as a competitor to BlockFi, another business allowing people to borrow bitcoins.
    • Both Voyager and BlockFi are reported to have faced losses due to a lack of sufficient funds in the market.
  6. User Restrictions and Impact on Clients:

    • Voyager users are informed that they won't be able to switch accounts, move money between accounts, or withdraw funds after June 13, resembling actions taken by other platforms during challenging market conditions.
  7. Custodial Practices and Legal Implications:

    • The article briefly touches upon Voyager's custodial practices, indicating that it did not keep each user's bitcoin in a separate wallet, as revealed in court.

In conclusion, my expertise allows me to provide a comprehensive understanding of the cryptocurrency industry, the challenges faced by companies like Voyager Digital, and the broader implications for investors and the market as a whole.

Voyager Digital Suspends All Trading Deposits And Withdrawals - California Business Journal (2024)
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