Crypto exchange FTX wins bankrupt firm Voyager’s assets

FTX US, the digital-asset exchange founded by billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried, won the auction for the assets of bankrupt crypto brokerage Voyager Digital. The agreement is valued at about US$1.4 billion, comprising an “additional consideration” worth about US$111 million and the US$1.3 billion market value of all the cryptocurrencies at the bankrupt platform, according to a statement from Voyager Digital on Monday (Sep 26) in New York. Customers will be able to transfer to the FTX US platform after the conclusion of the bankruptcy process, Voyager said, adding the purchase agreement will be presented for approval in court on Oct 19. The purchase follows several earlier attempts by FTX to bail out or acquire Voyager. The New York-based platform had about 3.5 million users at the end of March, and 1.19 million funded accounts. Voyager filed for bankruptcy protection in July after a failed attempt by Alameda Research - a trading house affiliated with FTX - to bail it out with a revolving line of credit. That same month, FTX and Alameda disclosed a joint bid for Voyager, but Voyager called it a “low-ball” offer. In September, Alameda said it will return about US$200 million worth of Bitcoin and Ether it had borrowed from Voyager by the end of the month. Bankman-Fried has been aggressively buying up distressed crypto companies this year, scooping up millions of customers and valuable technologies at a cheaper price than they traded at just half a year ago. Earlier this year FTX propped up the crypto platform BlockFi and was exploring a potential takeover of Robinhood Markets, where Bankman-Fried owns a stake. He is estimated to own more than 50 per cent of FTX, 70 per cent of FTX US, and almost all of Alameda. FTX is in the process of raising a US$1 billion funding round, according to a source familiar with the deal, which hasn’t closed yet or been made public. BLOOMBERG