Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Dec 05, 2023

Silicon Valley Bank Failure Rattles "Stable" Cryptocurrency USD Coin

Silicon Valley Bank Failure Rattles "Stable" Cryptocurrency USD Coin

Circle said late Friday it had been unable to withdraw its reserves from Silicon Valley Bank, whose sudden collapse rattled financial markets.
The supposedly "stable" cryptocurrency USDC fell sharply after the firm that created it, Circle, announced it holds $3.3 billion in failed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and has dropped its peg to the dollar.

Circle said late Friday it had been unable to withdraw its reserves from SVB, whose sudden collapse rattled financial markets.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on Friday took over SVB, a major lender to the tech world, in the second-largest bank failure in US history.

SVB is expected to reopen on Monday under a new name, with billions in customer deposits now under FDIC control.

The FDIC guarantees deposits -- but only up to $250,000 per client and per bank.

The agency said Friday it would provide certificates to customers with uninsured funds -- those above the $250,000 limit -- so that they would be the first to receive funds eventually recovered while the bank is in receivership.

But the process of liquidating the bank's assets can be long, with no certainty of just how much will be recovered.

The USD Coin, or USDC, was launched in 2018 as a "stablecoin," meaning it was indexed to a currency backed by a central bank, in this case the US dollar.

It is listed as the second largest "stable" currency worldwide, based on its volume in circulation (around $40 billion), behind Tether.

Stablecoins are supposed to be backed by equivalent reserves in immediately available assets, either cash or readily convertible financial securities.

Overnight Friday to Saturday, the USDC fell to its lowest level ever, dropping to 87 cents before recovering to around 94 cents.

Other stablecoins have also suffered.

The Dai, the fourth-largest stablecoin by volume in circulation, fell to 95 cents, while the Frax (sixth largest) fell to 94 cents, its lowest ever.

The Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange platform said it was suspending USDC-dollar conversions until Monday, given its exceptionally high activity.

More than $25 billion in USDC had been exchanged on the Coinbase platform in 24 hours, an enormous volume compared to overall holdings.

Meantime, Binance, the largest cryptocurrency transaction site, said it was suspending conversions of USDC into BUSD -- Binance USD, the platform's own "stable" currency.

"Like other customers and depositors who relied on SVB for banking services, Circle joins calls for continuity of this important bank in the US economy and will follow guidance provided by state and Federal regulators," Circle said in a statement.

Withdrawal orders from SVB reached a breathtaking $42 billion in a single day on Thursday, according to the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation.

When the bank was unable to honor all those requests, the FDIC stepped in to take control.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
Close
0:00
0:00
The BBC Caught Again with Questionable Journalistic Standards, as Ugly Facts Undermine Its Attractive Yet Flawed Arguments
Biden Advocates for Palestinian Authority to Govern Gaza and West Bank
Apple and Disney Halt Ads on X Following Elon Musk's Antisemitic Post, US Reacts
The UK’s Supreme Court, in a move that surprised no one who respects international law and human rights, has just delivered a landmark ruling against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s immigration strategy.
Top German journalist received €600,000 from Putin ally, leak reveals
A Dramatic Video from Gaza, Provided by IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari, Offers Undeniable Evidence of Hamas Establishing Terror Operation Bases Near Schools, Above Hospitals, and Inside Civilian Areas.
Moody's Downgrades U.S. Credit Outlook to Negative Amid Fiscal Concerns
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Swedish Embassy in Baghdad Engulfed in Flames Amidst a Firestorm of Protests
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Today, we're unveiling the splendor of one of Saudi Arabia's most exclusive and stunning retreats – the Jeddah Yacht Club
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Hospitalized Due to Dehydration Amidst Summer Heatwave
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Saudi Arabia Joins the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia
The Renowned Crown Prince Camel Festival Set to Return to Taif on Aug. 1
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
An Ominous Shift in Warfare: Western Powers Risk War Crimes and Violate International Norms with Cluster Bomb Supply to Ukraine
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Tensions Escalate as Iran Challenges Saudi Arabia's Sovereignty over Al-Durrah Gas Field
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
Saudi Arabia and China Forge New Frontiers in Space Exploration
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
×