EDX Markets, a new cryptocurrency exchange backed by Citadel Securities, Fidelity Investments, and Charles Schwab, has quietly entered the market, aiming to attract brokers and investors interested in digital assets.

The exchange, which has yet to announce its official launch, operates as a noncustodial exchange, meaning it does not handle customers’ digital assets directly. Instead, it serves as a marketplace where firms can execute trades. This eliminates the risk of bank-run style failings that the industry witnessed in 2022 with FTX, Celsius and others.

The development comes just as American exchange Coinbase and worldwide exchange Binance face lawsuits from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. While the crackdown indicated increasing scrutiny from regulators, it seems that larger institutions are viewing this as an opportunity to swoop in for market share. These firms often have close ties to regulators and are much more effective at complying with regulations as a result of their scale, and as such, the current environment is seemingly ripe for disruption.

Indeed, a recent filing by BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm with more than $8 trillion under management, for a spot Bitcoin ETF is another sign that these institutions see the current environment as an opportunity for expansion into the sector.

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has repeatedly claimed that bitcoin is not a security, but a commodity, effectively keeping it out of the realm of SEC regulation. As a result, institutions like BlackRock may perceive bitcoin to be the safest cryptocurrency to offer products for, although this newly announced EDX exchange will feature other cryptocurrencies as well.

Overall, the development indicates that BlackRock is not the sole major traditional finance institution paying attention to bitcoin — everyone wants their slice of the pie, and regulators have served up that pie fresh out of the oven. 

Source link

Recent data shows that Silvergate Bank, a crypto-friendly financial institution, has become the most shorted stock in the United States, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. On Tuesday, Silvergate’s stock saw a rise after it was discovered that Citadel Securities holds a 5.5% stake in the bank, according to a Schedule 13G filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

As Silvergate Shares Are the Most Shorted Stock on Wall Street, Citadel Securities Claims 5.5% Stake in the Crypto-Friendly Bank

According to current market data, shares of the crypto bank Silvergate have fallen 85.62% over the past six months. Additionally, as of Feb. 9, 2023, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority reports that Silvergate Capital’s shares are the most shorted stock in the country.

However, over the last month, Silvergate’s stock has risen 14.48% against the U.S. dollar, and there has been some improvement in price growth in 2023 compared to 2022.

The Short Interest Reporting also indicated that as of Jan. 31, 2023, 72% of Silvergate’s shares were being used for shorting. In recent months, Silvergate has been dealing with negative news regarding the bank’s relationship with the now-defunct Alameda Research and FTX.

The company’s Q4 2022 earnings report showed a loss of $1 billion. However, the recent rebound in the cryptocurrency market in 2023 has helped to some extent, and an SEC filing from Citadel Securities shows an investment in the firm.

A Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Schedule 13G, shows that Citadel Securities holds more than 1.7 million shares of Silvergate, which are worth $25.9 million at Tuesday’s exchange rates. It is currently unknown why Citadel Securities has a 5.5% stake in the La Jolla-based bank. It was revealed in Sept. 2022 that Citadel Securities is working with Fidelity Digital Assets and Charles Schwab Corp. on a cryptocurrency exchange called EDX Markets.

Since the news about Citadel Securities, Silvergate’s shares have risen 4.66% against the dollar, remaining above the $15 per share range. Data further shows that Susquehanna Advisors Group owns 7.5% of Silvergate’s shares, or 2.36 million shares.

What do you think about Citadel Securities claiming a 5.5% stake in Silvergate Bank? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Jamie Redman

Jamie Redman is the News Lead at Bitcoin.com News and a financial tech journalist living in Florida. Redman has been an active member of the cryptocurrency community since 2011. He has a passion for Bitcoin, open-source code, and decentralized applications. Since September 2015, Redman has written more than 6,000 articles for Bitcoin.com News about the disruptive protocols emerging today.