Crypto Lender Celsius' Bankruptcy Judge Orders It to Return $50M of Crypto to Custody Account Holders: Bloomberg

Celsius filed a motion in September to return crypto to customers who held assets in such accounts.

AccessTimeIconDec 8, 2022 at 3:36 a.m. UTC
Updated May 9, 2023 at 4:04 a.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

A U.S. bankruptcy judge involved in the Celsius Networks bankruptcy case ordered the crypto lender to return crypto worth $50 million to users of custody accounts, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.

Celsius, about a month after its bankruptcy filing in July as reported by CoinDesk, in September filed to return custody holders' funds to them, ahead of a separate hearing to address ongoing questions about its efforts to restructure and relaunch its operations.

  • DCG Reaches In-Principle Deal With Genesis Creditors
    02:26
    DCG Reaches In-Principle Deal With Genesis Creditors
  • Crypto Custodian Prime Trust Files for Bankruptcy
    02:06
    Crypto Custodian Prime Trust Files for Bankruptcy
  • Celsius Can Start Converting Altcoins to Bitcoin, Ether as of July 1, Judge Says
    04:58
    Celsius Can Start Converting Altcoins to Bitcoin, Ether as of July 1, Judge Says
  • FTX’s Bankruptcy Fees on Track to Be 'Very Expensive', Court Examiner Says
    05:48
    FTX’s Bankruptcy Fees on Track to Be 'Very Expensive', Court Examiner Says
  • According to the filing, Celsius has about 58,300 users who collectively deposited over $210 million with its custody and withhold, with 15,680 customers holding "Pure Custody Assets" worth around $44 million. The Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, which is overseeing the case, scheduled a hearing for Oct. 6 to discuss the matter.

    The order was delivered verbally in a hearing Wednesday, and applies to applies to an amount of crypto that was worth about $44 million in September. Celsius owes billions of dollars of coins to other users.

    Celsius' argument was that unlike Celsius customers using its Earn or Borrow products, customers with custodial accounts still maintain ownership of their crypto assets. Celsius was merely acting as the storage provider. Therefore, these funds belong to the customers, not to Celsius' estate.




    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Greg Ahlstrand

    Greg Ahlstrand was previously CoinDesk's Asia News Editor. Greg has no significant crypto holdings.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.



    Read more about