Celsius liquidates nearly $25 million in crypto after SEC charges lender and former CEO for fraud


  • Celsius started liquidating holdings of LINK, BNB, 1INCH, BONE, ZRX among other cryptos after SEC brought charges against the lender.
  • The $25 million worth of crypto liquidation is likely related to a US judge's authorization from bankruptcy court.
  • The bankrupt crypto lender held approximately $164.5 million worth of altcoins on the Ethereum Virtual Machine chain.

Bankrupt crypto lender Celsius Network started liquidating some of its assets on Monday after receiving authorization from the bankruptcy court as the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has charged the entity and its former CEO Alex Mashinsky for violation of federal securities laws.

The firm has been accused by a former money manager of running a Ponzi scheme.

Also read: Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky arrested by DoJ and sued by SEC, CFTC and FTC

Celsius begins crypto liquidations while battling SEC allegations

The US SEC charged bankrupt crypto lender Celsius Network and founder Alex Mashinsky with the violation of the registration and anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws. 

The crypto lender is battling accusations of running a ponzi scheme, gross mismanagement of customer deposits and manipulation of crypto markets, among other charges.

While tackling the legal challenges facing the firm, Celsius received authorization from bankruptcy court to start liquidating its crypto holdings starting July 1. The entity is likely to utilize these funds towards paying back creditors.

Crypto intelligence tracker Lookonchain noted that Celsius has started liquidating its holdings, starting with $25 million worth of assets on Monday. On-chain analytics show that Celsius sold 1.27 million LINK worth $8.5 million, 2.83 million SNX worth $7.84 million, 12,597 BNB worth $3 million, 4.45 million 1INCH tokens worth $2.26 million, and 8.53 million ZRX tokens worth $1.9 million. Moreover, FTX and BONE tokens worth $948,000 were transferred to exchanges for liquidation. 

Celsius crypto liquidation

Celsius crypto liquidation
Celsius crypto liquidation 

SEC charges are geared towards Celsius Earn Interest program

According to the US financial regulator’s complaint, from 2018 to June 12 2022, Celsius offered to investors a crypto lending product, the Earn Interest Program. This program allowed users to tender their crypto assets in exchange for interest payments.

The regulator argues that the program constitutes the offer and sale of unregistered securities. Celsius is tackling the SEC’s charges against its firm and working on bankruptcy proceedings to return creditor funds. 


Like this article? Help us with some feedback by answering this survey:



Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Recommended content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

Crypto Today: US Senator tells Fed to buy BTC, DOGE demand hit $12B, NVIDIA bets drive AKT

Crypto Today: US Senator tells Fed to buy BTC, DOGE demand hit $12B, NVIDIA bets drive AKT

Dogecoin's price gained 4% within the daily timeframe to reclaim the $0.40 territory. With selling pressure in decline, on-chain signals suggest DOGE bulls could set sights on a breakout to $0.50.

More Cryptocurrencies News
Ethereum Price Forecast: ETH could see a decline as on-chain and derivatives data paint bearish picture

Ethereum Price Forecast: ETH could see a decline as on-chain and derivatives data paint bearish picture

Ethereum (ETH) declined below $3,100 on Tuesday as market sentiment surrounding the top altcoin is turning bearish. On-chain data reveals that investors are potentially withdrawing and putting sell pressure on exchanges.

More Ethereum News
Coinbase set to delist WBTC amid cbBTC expansion

Coinbase set to delist WBTC amid cbBTC expansion

Coinbase announced via an X post on Tuesday that it will suspend WBTC trading across all its platforms on December 19. Meanwhile, the exchange also revealed that its wrapped Bitcoin token, cbBTC, launched on Arbitrum earlier today.

More Crypto News
Dogecoin Price Forecast: Selling pressure drops 95% as DOGE traders target $0.50 breakout

Dogecoin Price Forecast: Selling pressure drops 95% as DOGE traders target $0.50 breakout

The Dogecoin price breached the $0.40 resistance on Monday, rebounding from a 15% pullback. On-chain transaction flows observed this week suggest DOGE could be on the verge of another leg-up toward $0.50. 

More Crypto News
Bitcoin: New high of $100K or correction to $78K?

Bitcoin: New high of $100K or correction to $78K?

Bitcoin surged to a new all-time high of $93,265 in the first half of the week, followed by a slight decline in the latter half. Reports highlight that Bitcoin’s current level is still not overvalued and could target levels above $100,000 in the coming weeks.

Read full analysis
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads

VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.

Read More

BTC

ETH

XRP