FTX Starts Strategic Review and Seeks the Court for Approval to Pay Important Vendors

• FTX said on Saturday that it has started a strategic evaluation of its worldwide assets.
• Debtors of FTX are in discussions with financial services company Perella Weinberg Partners.

The defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX and 101 of the 130 connected companies announced the beginning of a strategic evaluation of their global assets as part of the most recent bankruptcy filing. To maximize recoverable value for stakeholders, the review will be conducted. 

On November 11, in one of the most publicized crypto meltdowns, the exchange and its affiliates filed for bankruptcy in Delaware, leaving an estimated 1 million customers and other investors with total losses in the billions of dollars. Financial services company Perella Weinberg Partners is in discussions with FTX debtors about several possible sales or reorganization plans. The use of PWP, however, is restricted by judicial authorization, as per FTX.

FTX Requested Approval to Pay the Prepetition

According to a statement from the company’s new CEO John Ray, FTX would look into sales, recapitalizations, or other strategic transactions for some of its units. FTX requested authorization to pay prepetition claims of up to $9.3 million to its essential vendors following an interim order and up to $17.5 million after the entry of the final judgment in a court filing on Saturday.

FTX CEO, John Ray added:

 Based on our review over the past week, we are pleased to learn that many regulated or licensed subsidiaries of FTX, within and outside of the United States, have solvent balance sheets, responsible management, and valuable franchises.

Parallel requests for temporary relief from the bankruptcy court have been filed by FTX debtors and will be heard on November 22, 2022. Ray asked all parties involved to “be patient” even though no timeline for the sale or reorganization had been established.