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Crypto exchange FTX gets nod to sell $873M of assets to repay creditors

November 30, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Crypto exchange FTX gets nod to sell 3M of assets to repay creditors

Bitwise

Nearly $700 million of the $873 million trust assets allowed to be sold by FTX comes from Grayscale’s flagship product, the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, or GBTC.

Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX has been given the green light to sell around $873 million of trust assets, with proceeds used to repay creditors impacted by the exchange’s collapse in 2022, according to a Nov. 29 filing in a Delaware bankruptcy court.

The $873 million in assets will be sourced from FTX’s stakes in various trusts issued by crypto asset manager Grayscale Investments, valued at $807 million, and custody service provider Bitwise — valued at $66 million.

While the court document references a total of $744 million in assets — this is due to the valuation figure being as of Oct. 25, 2023. The assets have increased in value since.

*Order authorizing FTX Trading to sell trust assets. Source: Kroll*

The approval comes nearly four weeks after FTX debtors filed a motion to Judge John Dorsey on Nov. 3 requesting the sale of the six cryptocurrency trusts — including the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), Grayscale Ethereum Trust (ETHE), and Bitwise 10 Crypto Index Fund (BITW).

FTX currently owns over 22 million units of GBTC, Grayscale’s flagship Bitcoin product, now worth $691 million, while its 6.3 million shares of ETHE are now worth around $106 million.

Grayscale’s Ethereum Classic Trust (ETCG), Litecoin Trust (LTCN) and Digital Large Cap Trust (GDLC) are the three other trusts that FTX can now sell to recoup funds for impacted FTX customers.

*FTX's shares in Grayscale and Bitwise were worth $744 million as of Oct. 25, but the valued has increased since. Source: Kroll*

FTX’s administrators, headed by John. J Ray III, has been working to recover assets since Sam Bankman-Fried’s former empire collapsed in November 2022.

So far, around $7 billion in assets has been recovered, with nearly half of that coming in the form of cryptocurrencies ($3.4 billion).

In June, FTX’s debtors estimated the total amount of customer assets misappropriated was $8.7 billion.

Meanwhile, Bankman-Fried was convicted on seven fraud-related charges on Nov. 2 and is set to be sentenced on March 28.

He remains in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center for the time being, where he recently paid four mackerels in exchange for a haircut.

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Grayscale ETH futures ETF a ‘trojan horse’ for spot Ethereum ETF: Analyst

November 16, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Bloomberg

Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart thinks Grayscale’s Ether futures ETF application is just a ploy to corner the SEC to approve its spot Ether ETF.

Grayscale Investments is using its Ether (ETH) futures exchange-traded fund (ETF) application as a “trojan horse” to corner the United States Securities and Exchange Commission into approving its spot Ether ETF, says Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart.

Seyffart said in a Nov. 15 X (Twitter) post following the SEC delaying Grayscale’s ETH futures ETF bid that he believes if the SEC approves Grayscale’s application, then it would enable Grayscale to argue for the approval of its spot Ether ETF application.

If the SEC denies Grayscale’s bid, the asset manager could argue the SEC is treating Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether futures ETFs differently by allowing one under the Securities Act of 1933 but not the other.

“Watch [the SEC] try to either approve and argue why this is different from spot. Or Deny and argue why 1933 act products are meaningfully different from 1940 act products. Both are bad for SEC [in my opinion]. Genius move.”

Grayscale’s Ether futures ETF bid was submitted via a form 19b-4 — which exchanges file to inform the SEC of a security-based swap request. Seyffart said none of the 40 or so approved Ether ETF products went through the 19b-4 approval process.

Seyffart was initially unsure why Grayscale filed its Ether futures ETF via a 19b-4. He now believes Grayscale is playing “chess” with the SEC by using the Ether Futures ETF as a “trojan horse” to obtain a 19b-4 order from the regulator to corner them into a lose-lose situation.

I was initially unsure why they would even file for this. But my thoughts have evolved over the last few weeks and they are basically this:
Grayscale is playing Chess, not checkers here. They're likely hoping to force the SEC into issuing a 19b-4 decision on an ETH futures ETF.…
— James Seyffart (@JSeyff) November 15, 2023

Seyffart and Scott Johnsson, General President at Van Buren Capital General, agreed Grayscale wouldn’t launch the Ether futures ETF.

“Doubtful this product ever trades, but useful as a vessel to get spot ETH over the finish line,” Johnsson said.

Seyffart’s comments come as the SEC delayed its decision on Grayscale’s Ether futures ETF on Nov. 15 — two days earlier than its Nov. 17 deadline. Seyffart said he wasn’t surprised by the delay.

Hashdex’s application to convert its Bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund (ETF) into a spot product was also put on hold by the securities regulator on Nov. 15.

BlackRock shared a similar sentiment to Seyffart last week, arguing that the SEC doesn't have a legitimate reason to treat cryptocurrency spot and futures ETF applications differently.

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Grayscale GBTC discount falls to 16% as markets bet on Bitcoin ETF approval

October 16, 2023 Coin Telegraph

Coin Telegraph

Some analysts say GBTC’s discount is narrowing because investors are pricing in the SEC’s approval on several pending spot Bitcoin ETF applications.

Grayscale’s Bitcoin investment vehicle, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) is trading at its lowest discount in nearly two years, as spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to inch toward potential approval in the United States.

The latest data from YCharts shows GBTC’s discount to Bitcoin net asset value (NAV) has narrowed to 15.87% as of Oct. 13.

Discount to net asset value (NAV) is a percentage that measures the amount that a mutual fund or ETF is trading below its net asset value. The metric is used to track how far away a security is trading away from its true value.

Data shows that GBTC’s discount began to narrow when BlackRock and several other financial institutions filed spot Bitcoin ETF applications in mid-June, where the discount fell from 44% on June 15 to 26.7% by July 5. Since then, the figure has continued to narrow.

*GBTC’s Discount to NAV chart over the last 12 months. Source: YCharts*

The last time GBTC’s discount was at a similar level was in early December 2021 — only a month after BTC hit its all-time high price of $69,000 on Nov. 10, according to CoinGecko.

Bitcoin advocate Oliver Velez believes the market is pricing in spot Bitcoin ETF approval by year's end.

Other analysts, such as cryptocurrency investor Lyle Pratt believe GBTC’s discount will continue to “evaporate” over the next week or two as spot Bitcoin ETFs near approval.

THE GBTC DISCOUNT HAS NARROWED TO 16% AS THE MARKET BETS ON A BITCOIN SPOT ETF APPROVAL.

Grayscale's Bitcoin Trust, commonly known as GBTC, has experienced notable changes in its market dynamics. At the start of this year, GBTC was trading at a significant discount of 48.31%… pic.twitter.com/2nWLmvnewb
— The Wolf Of All Streets (@scottmelker) October 13, 2023

Reports emerged that the SEC wouldn’t appeal the Grayscale decision on Oct. 13, leading to Bloomberg ETF analyst James Seyffart referring to spot Bitcoin ETF approvals as a “done deal” in an Oct. 13 post.

On Oct. 15, Grayscale reportedly delivered a statement noting that the SEC’s 45-day period to seek a rehearing had passed, meaning the court would issue its “final mandate” within seven calendar days.

"The Grayscale team remains operationally ready to convert GBTC to an ETF upon the SEC’s approval, and we look forward to sharing more information as soon as practicable," the company reportedly said.

NEW: Statement from @Grayscale on the @SECGov’s decision to not seek a rehearing:

“The Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure’s 45-day period to seek rehearing has now passed. The Court will now issue its final mandate within seven calendar days. The Grayscale team remains…
— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) October 15, 2023

Cointelegraph reached out to Grayscale for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

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Grayscale Investments

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