Silvergate CEO calls out ‘short sellers’ spreading misinformation

Silvergate Capital CEO Alan Lane has slammed “brief sellers” and “different opportunists” for spreading misinformation over the previous couple of weeks — simply to attain themselves a fast buck. 

In a Dec. 5 public letter, Lane mentioned there was “loads of hypothesis – and misinformation” being unfold by these events to “capitalize on market uncertainty” prompted partially to FTX’s catastrophic collapse in November.

His crypto-focused financial institution was recently forced to deny considered one of these so-called FUD (concern, uncertainty and doubt) campaigns final week when there was hypothesis that the agency was uncovered to the bankrupt crypto lender BlockFi.

Lane additionally used the most recent letter to the general public as an “alternative to set the file straight” about its funding relationship with FTX, in addition to the corporate’s “sturdy threat administration strategy.”

Lane reiterated that the agency complies with the Financial institution Secrecy Act and the USA PATRIOT Act, which requires it to watch and scrutinize “every account,” together with FTX and Alameda analysis.

“Silvergate performed vital due diligence on FTX and its associated entities together with Alameda Analysis, each throughout the onboarding course of and thru ongoing monitoring,” the CEO defined.

The CEO has additionally touted the agency’s “resilient stability sheet and ample liquidity” including that prospects’ deposits are “safely held.”

“Along with the money we feature on our stability sheet, our whole funding securities portfolio could be pledged for borrowings on the Federal Residence Mortgage Financial institution, different monetary establishments, and the Federal Reserve Low cost Window – and may in the end be bought ought to we have to generate liquidity to fulfill buyer withdrawal request,” defined Lane.

Associated: Block.one and its CEO become largest Silvergate Capital shareholders

Silvergate has additionally been the main focus of different hypothesis in current weeks, together with CFA-issued accountant and former portfolio supervisor Genevieve Roch-Decter, who expressed doubt in a Dec. 1 submit whether or not Silvergate may keep its liquidity place and contemplated whether or not it may undergo from its shut relationship with FTX.

Roch-Decter was additionally involved with Silvergate’s Bitcoin-collateralized mortgage place, which may affect the agency’s stability sheet if Bitcoin’s (BTC) worth continues to fall.

She additionally expressed fear that ought to the agency’s Silvergate Alternate Community — a community utilized by extremely used crypto exchanges to ship U.S. {dollars} and Euros between accounts — was compromised, it may “drag down your complete system.”

Lane confirmed within the assertion that Silvergate “prospects proceed to have entry to their U.S. greenback deposits after they want them and that Silvergate Alternate Community (SEN) has continued to function uninterrupted all through this era.”

“We deliberately carry money and securities in extra of our digital asset-related deposit liabilities,” the CEO added.

Lane’s public letter did little to stem the bleeding of Silvergate’s (SI) share worth, which fell 8.49% to $24.24 on the New York Inventory Alternate (NYSE) on Monday, according to MarketWatch.

Silvergate’s inventory is now down 52.43% over the past thirty days and decreased 85.34% over the past 12 months.