Bitcoin Miner Marathon Digital Terminates Credit Facility With Crypto Bank Silvergate

The miner reduced its debt by $50 million and freed up about $75 million worth of bitcoin that was held as collateral.

AccessTimeIconMar 8, 2023 at 10:52 p.m. UTC
Updated May 9, 2023 at 4:10 a.m. UTC

One of the largest bitcoin miners, Marathon Digital (MARA), said it terminated its credit facilities with Silvergate Bank, which said Wednesday it will wind down operations and liquidate its assets.

Marathon said that on March 8 the term loan prepayment was completed and the company’s credit facilities with Silvergate Bank were terminated, reducing its debt by $50 million, according to a statement. The debt paid down also increased its unrestricted bitcoin holdings by 3,132 because the bitcoin that was being held as collateral by a third-party custodian was returned to the miner, the statement said.

  • What Do EigenLayer's Outflows of $2.3B Signal?
    00:57
    What Do EigenLayer's Outflows of $2.3B Signal?
  • What Do TradFi Crypto Moves Mean for Decentralization?
    04:20
    What Do TradFi Crypto Moves Mean for Decentralization?
  • Marathon Digital Buys $100M BTC; India's Special Task Force for Crypto-Related Drug Trafficking
    02:02
    Marathon Digital Buys $100M BTC; India's Special Task Force for Crypto-Related Drug Trafficking
  • Ether Slides as Grayscale's ETHE Outflows Ramp Up
    00:53
    Ether Slides as Grayscale's ETHE Outflows Ramp Up
  • "We have reduced our leverage by approximately $50 million, immediately freed up approximately $75 million in bitcoin that was being held as collateral for the term loan, and reduced our annual cash interest costs and facility fees by approximately $5 million," said Hugh Gallagher, Marathon’s chief financial officer, in the statement.

    The company has been taking steps to shore up its balance sheet by paying off some of its debts and freeing up its restricted bitcoin that were being used as collateral. In January, Marathon said that it fully paid off $30 million in revolver loans with Silvergate in December, freeing up 3,615 bitcoin (BTC) that had been pledged as collateral.

    The company also sold 650 bitcoin in February, following its sale of 1,500 bitcoin in January to pay for operating expenses and general corporate purposes. In after-hours trading on Wednesday, Marathon shares were down about 1%, in line with bitcoin's decline.

    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.

    Aoyon Ashraf

    Aoyon Ashraf is managing editor with more than a decade of experience in covering equity markets