US banks experience volatility and trading halts amid bank failures and presidential assurances

Banks saw their share prices take a rollercoaster ride over the weekend and into March 13. Trading was temporarily halted for dozens of United States regional banks amid volatility and falling prices.  The Wall Street Journal reported early in the morning that trading was halted for First Republic Bank, which led bank losses when its price fell 65% by the time trading was stopped. Trading in PacWest Bancorp, down 25%; Zions Bancorp, down 25%; and Regions Financial, down 9%, was also halted. Those banks saw uneven recovery when trading resumed,…

BlockFi in no immediate danger, despite Silicon Valley Bank exposure: Report

According to a lawyer representing the bankrupt crypto lender BlockFi Inc.,the company is in a stable financial position with access to ample cash reserves, despite having over $200 million in exposure to Silicon Valley Bank, Bloomberg reported. According to the report, BlockFi had $227 million invested in a money market mutual fund that Silicon Valley Bank marketed; nevertheless, the risk is probably related to the performance of the fund, not the bank’s financials. https://t.co/xsgWgQRsLy — Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) March 11, 2023 During a bankruptcy hearing on Monday, Christine Okike of Kirkland…

BlockTower Capital Funds Had Exposure to Silvergate, Signature Bank

According to the Form ADV Filing dated May 11, 2022, the BlockTower Blue Signum SPV fund, which had about $4.6 million in gross asset value at the time of the filing, used Silvergate Bank as its sole custodian. The BlockTower DeFi SPV I fund ($74.6 million in gross assets) also listed only Silvergate, while the BlockTower Gamma Point Master Fund ($89 million) had Signature Bank as the custodian Source

US regulators shut down Signature Bank despite ‘no insolvency’: Report

Barney Frank, a former member of the United States House of Representatives, has reportedly suggested New York regulators closed the crypto-friendly Signature Bank as part of a seeming show of force. According to a March 13 CNBC report, Frank — also a board member of Signature Bank — said the only indication of problems at the bank was a deposit run of more than $10 billion on March 10, which he called “purely contagion” from the Silicon Valley Bank fallout. The New York Department of Financial Services took control of…

Shareholders file lawsuit against Silicon Valley Bank, alleging fraud: Report

A group of shareholders have reportedly filed a lawsuit against Silicon Valley Bank’s parent company and some of its executives amid the unfolding crisis. Multiple news outlets reported on March 13 that many Silicon Valley Bank shareholders alleged fraud from the bank and chief executive officer Greg Becker and chief financial officer Daniel Beck. The lawsuit would likely be one of the first filed in court since California regulators shut down the bank on March 10, leading to USD Coin (USDC) temporarily depegging from the dollar amid reports Circle had…

Gemini says no funds at Signature Bank backing GUSD

Crypto exchange Gemini had no funds at Signature Bank, and its Gemini US Dollar (GUSD) stablecoin was not backed by any deposits at the failed bank, according to a March 13 official tweet from the company. 1/ It’s very sad to hear the news about Signature Bank. They have been incredible partners to Gemini and our industry for the better part of a decade. We have zero customer funds and zero Gemini dollar (GUSD) funds held at Signature Bank. — Gemini (@Gemini) March 13, 2023 The exchange further clarified that…

President Biden Calls for Stronger Bank Regulations in Wake of SVB, Signature Bank Collapses

“We must get the full accounting of what happened and why those responsible can be held accountable,” Biden said. “In my administration, no one – no one is above the law. And finally, we must reduce the risk of this happening again. During the Obama-Biden administration, we put in place tough requirements on banks, like Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, including the Dodd-Frank law to make sure that the crisis we saw in 2008 would not happen again.” Source