Ex Celsius CEO Withdrew $10 Million Before Accounts Freeze

The embattled founder and former CEO of bankrupt crypto lender Celsius, Alex Mashinsky, withdrew $10 million from the exchange before it froze withdrawals. 

The now bankrupt crypto lender filed for bankruptcy and froze all withdrawals in June, according to unnamed sources close to the matter. 

Details Of The Transaction 

Mashinsky had resigned his position as the CEO of Celsius on the 27th of September and had withdrawn the cryptocurrency in May, according to reports. A spokesperson for the CEO stated that Mahinsky had withdrawn a portion of his cryptocurrency. According to the spokesperson, the withdrawn assets were primarily used to pay state and federal taxes. 

Mashinsky withdrew the cryptocurrency during the upheaval in the crypto markets thanks to the collapse of the Terra ecosystem. The collapse had a stinging impact on the larger crypto space, which saw a staggering $60 billion wiped out over the month. Celsius is required to submit details regarding transactions made by Mashinky in court as part of the financial disclosure to be submitted by Celsius. 

Assets Still with Celsius 

The spokesperson also stated that Mashinsky and his associates still held $44 million worth of frozen crypto assets with the crypto lender after the withdrawal. Mashinksy voluntarily disclosed the assets held with Celsius to the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (UCC) during the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. 

The Celsius Collapse 

Celsius had halted all swaps, transfers, and withdrawals in June, citing extreme market conditions. The decision to halt withdrawals was taken after assuring customers that the company was financially sound and would continue to function as usual only days prior. After freezing withdrawals and transfers, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. 

In subsequent filings, the under-fire company revealed that it had a deficit of $1.2 billion on its balance sheet. According to documents filed with the court, Celsius held $4.3 billion of assets and had $5.5 billion of liabilities. The company released a statement at the time of filing for bankruptcy, stating, explaining the reasons behind its actions, 

“Without a pause, the acceleration of withdrawals would have allowed certain customers – those who were first to act – to be paid in full while leaving others behind to wait for Celsius to harvest value from illiquid or longer-term asset deployment activities before they receive a recovery.”

At the time, Mashinsky had stated that the decision was right for the community, adding that this would be considered as a defining moment in the history of Celsius. 

“We will see this as a defining moment, where acting with resolve and confidence served the community and strengthened the future of the company.”

Sam Bankman-Fried Eyes Assets 

With the news of the Celsius CEO resigning, billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried is considering bidding for the assets of the bankrupt crypto lender. The FTX CEO is in the middle of raising a $1 billion funding round but has, so far, not stated his intentions publicly. FTX is also acquiring Voyager Digital’s assets, valued at $1.4 billion.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.