Fir Tree Capital Management has filed a lawsuit against Grayscale Investments demanding information that could be used to force changes to the way it runs its flagship Bitcoin Trust. According to Bloomberg, a Dec. 6 complaint was filed against Grayscale at the Delaware Court of Chancery and seeks to have Grayscale lower its fees, start redemptions and hand over documents relating to its relationship with the Digital Currency Group. The hedge fund also wants to stop Grayscale’s efforts in converting its $10.7 billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) into a spot exchange-traded fund (ETF). In its complaint, the New York-based hedge …

On Nov. 18, Grayscale, the asset manager running the world’s largest Bitcoin (BTC) fund, released a statement detailing the security of its digital assets products and affirming that it won’t share its proof of reserves with customers. “Due to recent events, investors are understandably inquiring deeper into their crypto investments,” the statement begins, which is quite the understatement following the implosion of FTX and the inquiry into Sam Bankman-Fried’s questionable leadership. In no time, the question on everyone’s lips became clear. Will Grayscale be next? The answer is that it’s unlikely. And that’s largely because the people at the top, …

According to a new Twitter post by Ryan Selkis, CEO of blockchain research firm Messari, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust's (GBTC) controlling shareholders Genesis Global and Digital Currency Group cannot simply "dump" their holdings to raise more capital. Selkis explained that the restrictions are due to Rule 144A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, which forces issuers of over-the-counter, or OTC, traded entities to give advance notice of proposed sales, as well as a quarterly cap on sale of either 1% of outstanding shares or weekly traded volume. 2/ DCG bought nearly $800mm worth of GBTC shares since the premium flipped …

The monumental collapse of FTX will go down as one of the biggest corporate scandals of all time. But, at least Sam Bankman-Fried, or SBF, is sorry. On Nov. 22, the disgraced founder of FTX penned a letter to his former employees describing his role in the company’s bankruptcy. “I never intended this to happen,” he wrote. “I did not realize the full extent of the margin position, nor did I realize the magnitude of the risk posed by a hyper-correlated crash.” Get this: SBF still thinks the company can be saved because “there are billion of dollars of genuine …

The cryptocurrency tide is flowing out, and it looks more and more like Digital Currency Group (DCG) has been skinny dipping. But let’s be clear: The current crypto contagion isn’t a failure of crypto as a technology or long-term investment. DCG’s problem is one of failure by regulators and gatekeepers. Since its 2013 inception, DCG’s Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), the largest Bitcoin (BTC) trust in the world, has offered investors the ability to earn a high rate of interest — above 8% — simply by purchasing cryptocurrency and lending it to or depositing it with DCG. In many ways, the …

With digital asset management firm Grayscale refusing to provide proof of reserves for its Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC), an independent analyst has spent days combing through the blockchain to independently verify its holdings. The OXT Research analyst, Ergo, used on-chain forensics to confirm that as of Nov. 23 that the GBTC owns approximately 633,000 Bitcoin (BTC) held by its custodian, Coinbase Custody. The Grayscale G(BTC) Coins Part 2 In this analysis we use additional on-chain forensics to CONFIRM the approximate 633k BTC balance held by G(BTC) at Coinbase Custody. Which begs the question, why does Grayscale refuse to disclose their …

Bitcoin (BTC) faced a 7.3% drop between Nov. 20-21 as it tested the $15,500 support. While the correction seems small, the movement has caused $230 million in liquidations in futures contracts. Consequently, bulls using leverage came out ill-prepared for the $1.14 billion monthly options expiry on Nov. 25. Bitcoin investors' sentiment worsened after Genesis Trading, which is part of the Digital Currency Group (DCG) conglomerate, halted payouts at its crypto lending arm on Nov. 16. More importantly, DCG owns the fund management company Grayscale, which is responsible for the largest institutional Bitcoin investment vehicle, the Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC). Additionally, …

Bitcoin (BTC) lingered near $16,500 at the Nov. 23 Wall Street open as United States markets awaited Thanksgiving cues. Grayscale, GBTC still dominate crypto mood Data from Cointelegraph Markets Pro and TradingView showed BTC/USD shunning volatility after fresh two-year lows the day prior. The pair left analysts guessing the day before U.S. markets closed for the Thanksgiving holiday, with crypto commentators still focused on Digital Currency Group (DCG). Potential liquidity problems with DCG-owned Genesis Trading continued to agitate those already expecting further losses across Bitcoin and altcoins. As Cointelegraph reported, concerns had already spread to doubt the future of the …

Cryptocurrency lending firm Genesis Global Capital has reportedly hired a restructuring adviser to explore all possible options that include, but aren’t limited to, a potential bankruptcy. It is understood that the firm has hired investment bank Moelis & Company to explore options, while people familiar with the situation have stressed that no financial decisions have been made and that it is still possible for the company to avoid a bankruptcy filing, according to a New York Times report on Nov. 22. Interestingly, Moelis & Company was also one of the firms engaged by Voyager Digital after it suspended withdrawals and …

Ether (ETH) price experienced an 11.9% decline from Nov. 20 to Nov. 22, bottoming at $1,074 — the lowest level seen since July. Currently, investors have reason to be concerned after crypto lending company Genesis reportedly faced difficulties raising money, triggering rumors of insolvency on Nov. 21. However, a spokesperson for Genesis told Cointelegraph that there were no plans for imminent bankruptcy because the company continues to hold discussions with its creditors. Unease about the centralization of decentralized finance (DeFi) surfaced after Uniswap Labs changed the privacy policy on Nov. 17, revealing that it collects publicly-available blockchain data, users' browser …

On this week’s The Market Report show, Cointelegraph’s resident experts discuss what the ramifications would be if Grayscale Bitcoin Trust were to collapse. We start off this week’s show with the latest news in the markets: GBTC next BTC price black swan? — 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week Bitcoin (BTC), the largest cryptocurrency, just like the rest of the crypto industry, remains highly susceptible to downside risk as it continues to deal with the fallout from the implosion of exchange FTX. Contagion is the word on everyone’s lips as November grinds on — just like the Terra …

The total cryptocurrency market capitalization dropped by 5% between Nov. 14 and Nov. 21, reaching a notable $795 billion. However, the overall sentiment is far worse, considering that this valuation is the lowest seen since December 2020. Bitcoin (BTC) price dipped a mere 2.8% on the week, but investors have little to celebrate because the current $16,100 level represents a 66% drop year-to-date. Even if the FTX and Alameda Research collapse has been priced in, investor uncertainty is now focused on the Grayscale funds, including the $10.5 billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC). Genesis Trading, part of the Digital Currency Group …