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$100M drained from Solana DeFi platform Mango Markets, token plunges 52%

The platform’s treasury was drained of over $100 million worth of cryptocurrency after an attacker manipulated price data of its native token to take out loans against their holdings.

Solana (SOL) based decentralized finance (DeFi) exchange Mango Markets has been hit with a reported exploit of over $100 million through an attacker manipulating price oracle data, allowing them to take out under-collateralized cryptocurrency loans.

The exploit was first identified by blockchain security firm OtterSec which tweeted the exchange had been drained of over $100 million due to the attacker manipulating the value of their Mango (MNGO) native token collateral, then taking out “massive loans” from Mango’s treasury.

The Mango Markets team tweeted soon after warning users not to deposit funds until “the situation was more clear” and asked the attacker to contact them to discuss a bug bounty.

The team later confirmed the manipulation of a price oracle — a price data feed of the value of its MNGO token — and stated that it had disabled deposits whilst it continued investigations of the incident.

Due to news of the exploit, the price of the platforms’ MNGO token has fallen by around 52% in the last 24-hours at the time of writing according to data from CoinGecko.

Related: TempleDAO exploit results in $2M loss

The exploiters' account on the platform shows the three largest withdrawals were for $50 million worth of USD Coin (USDC), over $26.7 million worth of a Solana staking token called Marinade Staked SOL (mSOL), and nearly $24 million worth of SOL.

Over $14.7 million worth of MNGO was withdrawn and Mango said it’s “taking steps to have third parties freeze funds in flight.”

Meanwhile, the QANplatform blockchain also suffered from an exploit of its ownon Oct. 11, with its Ethereum (ETH) bridge drained of around $1.89 million worth of its native QANX token according to blockchain security company Beosin. QANplatform says it’s investigating the incident.

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Celsius changes legal team, pays off $20M in Aave debts

The embattled platform continues to wind down its debts to decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocols, having just paid off 20 million USDC to Aave.

Crypto lending platform Celsius has reportedly hired lawyers from Kirkland & Ellis LLP to advise on its restructuring options — the same firm that assisted Voyager Digital with its bankruptcy filing last week. 

According to a report from the Wall Street Journal on July 10, the company has hired lawyers to advise on options, including a bankruptcy filing in place of the previously hired law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP describes itself as an international law firm that serves clients in private equity, M&A, and other corporate transactions, having been founded in 1909.

The law firm has also been tapped as general bankruptcy counsel for Voyager Digital in its bankruptcy proceedings, which it filed in the Southern District Court of New York on July 5, days after pausing trading, withdrawals, and deposits on liquidity issues.

Despite ongoing concerns that the crypto lender may follow a similar path, Celsius has continued to wind down its debts to decentralized finance (DeFi) lending protocols, having just paid off 20 million in USD Coin (USDC) to Aave.

The latest loan repayment was picked up by blockchain analytics firm Peckshield on Sunday, July 10, sharing a screenshot of the 20 million USDC transfer from a Celsius wallet to Aave Protocol V2.

Defi tracking platform Zapper shows that Celsius still owes approximately $130 million in USDC and $82,500 in Ren (REN) to Aave, along with $85.2 million in Dai (DAI) to the Compound protocol, with a total debt of $215 million.

Last week, the lending platform paid off its remaining $41.2 million debt to Maker protocol on July 7, freeing up more than $500 million in Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC) collateral.

Related: Tether liquidates Celsius position with ‘no losses’ to stablecoin issuer

Paying down debt has been seen as a positive for Celsius’ depositors, who have not been able to access their crypto funds since withdrawals halted on June 13 and fear a loss of their funds if the company were to go bankrupt.

Last week, crypto lawyer Joni Pirovich told Cointelegraph that Celsius’ repayment of its loan position would ultimately assist its customers, as it would free up capital which could be used to meet customer withdrawal requests.

Pirovich added that even if Celsius files for bankruptcy, repaying its loan position and withdrawing collateral could improve the situation of its customers.

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Celsius moved $529M worth of wBTC to FTX exchange: Should we be worried?

The crypto community is concerned that the transfer could lead to the dumping of more than $500 million Bitcoin into the market.

Embattled lending platform Celsius has transferred nearly 25,000 Wrapped Bitcoin (wBTC), worth $528.9 million to crypto exchange FTX, prompting concerns from some in the community about whether a dump may soon follow. 

The huge transfer to the exchange comes after the lending platform paid off its remaining $41.2 million of debt to Maker (MKR) protocol, freeing up its loan’s entire wBTC collateral.

However, the community is unsure what to make of the transfer, with some fearing that a dump of the wBTC on the exchange could soon follow, pushing Bitcoin prices down.

Others have been more hopeful that the move may be in preparation for Celsius to swap their wrapped Bitcoin for BTC, which may be a good sign for depositors who’ve been hoping for Bitcoin withdrawals to eventually reopen on the Celsius platform. Bitcoin is up 8% in the past 24 hours to trade above $22,100, suggesting market participants are taking the news in their stride.

The 25,000 wBTC sent to FTX follows the news earlier today that 150,000 BTC may be potentially released into the market as Mt.Gox creditors get their BTC back after an eight-year wait.

So far, both Celsius and CEO Alex Mashinsky have remained radio silent about any movement of funds.

Crypto lawyer Joni Pirovich, Principal of Blockchain & Digital Assets told Cointelegraph on July 7 that Celsius’ repayment of its loan position with Maker will ultimately assist its customers.

Related: Bombshell allegations of fraud as KeyFi takes Celsius to court

“Maker protocol relies on overcollateralized loan positions, so the loan repayment of US$41 million worth of DAI released 21,962 WBTC of capital which is now available to meet customer withdrawal requests.”

Pirovich added that even if Celsius ends up filing for bankruptcy, that repaying the loan position and withdrawing collateral could improve the position of customers.

“The question is what will Celsius do with the withdrawn collateral? Keep it in reserve for customers or risk it to trade and on-lend.”

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TSX-Listed Voyager Digital ‘Temporarily’ Suspends Trading, Deposits, and Withdrawals

TSX-Listed Voyager Digital ‘Temporarily’ Suspends Trading, Deposits, and WithdrawalsAfter the TSX-listed Voyager Digital revealed that it was owed $655 million from Three Arrows Capital (3AC), the company secured a $500 million credit line from Alameda Ventures in order to “safeguard customer assets.” Five days later on July 1, Voyager announced the crypto company was “temporarily suspending trading, deposits, withdrawals and loyalty rewards.” Another […]

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Crypto Firm Voyager Digital Secures a $500M Line of Credit From Alameda Ventures to Cope With 3AC Exposure

Crypto Firm Voyager Digital Secures a 0M Line of Credit From Alameda Ventures to Cope With 3AC ExposureThree days ago, Bitcoin.com News reported on the publicly listed company Voyager Digital after the crypto firm announced that it was owed $655 million worth of digital assets. Now according to a press release from Voyager, the company has secured funds from Alameda Ventures in order to get more access to liquidity. Voyager Borrows $500 […]

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Acquiring a Home With Bitcoin — A Deep Dive Into the Latest Crypto-Backed Mortgage Trend

Acquiring a Home With Bitcoin — A Deep Dive Into the Latest Crypto-Backed Mortgage TrendDuring the last few years, cryptocurrencies have been integrated into traditional finance tools like automated teller machines (ATMs), loadable debit cards, point-of-sale devices, and direct payments for all kinds of goods and services. Digital assets have also been added to retirement account offerings issued by financial giants like Fidelity. In recent times, cryptocurrencies can be […]

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Banking Giant Goldman Sachs Launching Its First-Ever Loan Collateralized by Bitcoin (BTC)

Banking Giant Goldman Sachs Launching Its First-Ever Loan Collateralized by Bitcoin (BTC)

Banking and financial services titan Goldman Sachs is making its first-ever loan grant to a borrower fully backed by leading digital asset by market cap Bitcoin (BTC). According to a recent report, a spokesperson from the bank said that Goldman Sachs was interested in the deal because of its structure and 24-hour risk management. This […]

The post Banking Giant Goldman Sachs Launching Its First-Ever Loan Collateralized by Bitcoin (BTC) appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

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Bitcoin adoption won’t affect IMF talks, says El Salvador’s top central banker

The country’s central bank chief does not see the recent Bitcoin adoption move hampering plans to secure an IMF loan.

Douglas Rodriguez, president of the Central Reserve Bank of El Salvador, has dismissed fears that the country adopting Bitcoin (BTC) as legal tender will scupper plans for a $1.3-billion loan facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to Bloomberg on Tuesday, Rodriguez stated that the central bank does not see any risks associated with the Bitcoin Law even as it prepares to secure an extended loan facility from the IMF.

Indeed, the central bank described El Salvador’s Bitcoin Law as only having “upside risks,” with Rodriguez stating that a BTC bull run could help the country’s economy expand by over 9% more than initial forecasts.

According to Rodriguez, the central bank has explained to the IMF that “Bitcoin is simply a payment method.”

As previously reported by Cointelegraph, El Salvador’s government says Bitcoin acceptance continues to grow with people selling more United States dollars to buy BTC.

Uncertainty over the fate of the IMF talks, as well as the recent BTC adoption as legal tender, has seemingly had a significant effect on the country’s credit rating.

El Salvador’s bonds declined sharply in September following “Bitcoin Day” in the country, putting even more significance on the outcome of the IMF loan deal.

Related: El Salvador removes BTC price feed from Chivo app to crack down on arbitrage scalpers

According to central bank figures, with El Salvador’s external debt rising to $18.45 billion in Q2 2021, securing the IMF loan facility could be crucial to ensuring access to the global market in 2022.

IMF officials have criticized El Salvador’s Bitcoin adoption, calling the move “an inadvisable shortcut” that could have dire consequences for the country.

Critics of the move from the mainstream finance sector have pointed to volatility and money laundering as among the likely systemic risks posed by accepting BTC as legal tender.

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Argo Blockchain secures $25M Bitcoin-backed loan from Galaxy Digital

The Bitcoin mining giant has entered into another BTC-backed loan agreement with Galaxy Digital as it pursues further operational expansions.

Argo Blockchain has secured another loan agreement from Galaxy Digital LP with the mining firm’s Bitcoin (BTC) as collateral.

According to an announcement by the London Stock Exchange on Friday, the new Bitcoin-backed loan agreement is to the tune of 18.05 million pounds (about $25 million).

As previously reported by Cointelegraph, Argo entered into a prior BTC-backed loan agreement with Galaxy Digital for $20 million back in June.

The United Kingdom-based Bitcoin miner will reportedly roll up both loans into one for a combined sum of $45 million.

As part of the agreement, Argo will utilize the fresh capital influx to support its expansion efforts in Texas.

In March, the company purchased a 320-acre land plot in Texas that will reportedly host a 200-megawatt Bitcoin mining facility.

By securing a Bitcoin-backed loan, Argo Blockchain is also able to increase its available capital without needing to liquidate mined BTC.

If bullish projections about the price of Bitcoin by end of the year also prove to be true, then the company could earn a significant yield by “HODLing” the BTC sum which will mean paying fewer U.S. dollars per Bitcoin during the repayment process.

The company also stated that it is delighted to continue its business relationship with Galaxy digital as a financing partner.

Related: Crypto miner Argo Blockchain goes ‘climate positive’ on greenhouse gas emissions

Earlier in September, UK Investor Magazine reported that Argo held 1,659 BTC on its balance sheet at the start of the month.

The Bitcoin mining giant reportedly mined 206 BTC in August to bring its year-to-date tally to 1,314 “coins.” At the current price of Bitcoin, Argo holds about $77 million worth of Bitcoin.

Argo’s U.S. expansion is also indicative of the East-West hash rate migration in the wake of China’s crypto mining crackdown in the summer. Several high-profile Bitcoin miners are now building greater capacity in North America.

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Unique Bitcoin-backed home loan refinancing deal in California

Glen Oaks Escrow has made its first BTC-backed refinancing of a property in San Diego.

One of Southern California's largest independent escrow companies, Glen Oaks Escrow, has announced its first property refinancing with a Bitcoin-backed loan.

The company stated that this is the first time a refinancing has been completed using Bitcoin as collateral. In the July 28 announcement it added that it has previously facilitated a number of real estate transactions that used BTC as the form of payment.

Glen Oaks Escrow, which started accepting Bitcoin payments in 2018, views the transaction as proof that Bitcoin’s value proposition is becoming clearer to debtors and creditors. Company Chief Operating Officer Joe Curtis commented:

“Seeing a lender use cryptocurrency for a refinance shows us that this payment method is continuing to grow in how it's used and who it's used by.”

He added that seeing the lender rather than the home buyer using BTC in a real estate transaction “tells us that this technology has the potential to continue becoming more prominent, even if it is still considered new to our industry.”

In another crypto related real estate development, a Dogecoin aficionado from the U.S. state of Utah has offered a 10% discount on his property if the buyer pays in DOGE.

On July 27, a local TV station reported that the owner listed the $389,000 home for sale and will accept seven cryptocurrencies but prefers Dogecoin due to his belief the 10% discount would quickly be made up for by Dogecoin price appreciation. After applying the discount, the amount of DOGE required to make the purchase would be around 1.7 million tokens at current prices.

Way back in 2017, Cointelegraph reported on the first-ever BTC real estate transaction which occurred in Texas.

Related: 5 Cities That Let You Buy Real Estate with Bitcoin

These two new stories are the latest positive developments in the real estate sector. On July 23, Cointelegraph reported that an increasing number of real estate firms are accepting payments in cryptocurrency.

CEO and founder of The Crypto Realty Group, Piper Moretti, told Cointelegraph that many buyers purchasing real estate with digital assets are taking loans out against their cryptocurrency, so they can still benefit from holding coins while putting the value to work.

In May, it was reported that buyers could even use Dogecoin to make a property purchase in Portugal. FNTX Capital Suisse partnered with Portugal-based property developer 355 Developments to offer condos for crypto in the capital, Lisbon.

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