Celsius Network’s Shift Towards Bitcoin Mining Plan

Bankrupt crypto lender Celsius Network has revealed that the company planning on switching to a Bitcoin mining-only company, following its bankruptcy court’s confirmation of the plan.

Celsius Transition To Mining NewCo

Celsius Network‘s transition into a mining company coincides with its bankruptcy proceedings. Over the past year, the digital assets company has experienced financial challenges, which led to its bankruptcy filing.

In September, Celsius filed for a reimbursement plan as its bankruptcy plan to resolve the financial challenges in the company. This saw over 95% of Celsius’ creditors voting in favor of this reimbursement plan.

According to the recent court filing, the cryptocurrency company intends to convert its services into Bitcoin mining operations exclusively and the new company will be known as Mining NewCo.

In addition, the company seems to have forsaken its initial plan for the company’s future with Fahrenheit Group. The firm asserted that the transition was the primary business of the new company to be formed with Fahrenheit, LLC. 

This was the core business of the new company that was proposed to be created with Fahrenheit, LLC that was described in the Plan (the “Fahrenheit NewCo”).

The new company which was supposed to be known as Fahrenheit NewCo was formed after it purchased Celsius this year after it purchased Celsius in a bidding war.

Celsius and the Fahrenheit Group initially came to a deal that the group would provide the firm with funds and operational expertise. Fahrenheit successfully acquired the firm’s assets this year. 

In the meantime, the firm is in touch with certain parties in order to organize the management of the Bitcoin mining company.

Celsius

The SEC’s Imparted The Transition Move

The firm’s plan to switch to a Bitcoin mining company was triggered by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) feedback after the court confirmed its plan. The company also highlighted that the new mining company will be owned by its customers.

The filing stated:

Celsius received feedback from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on certain aspects of the Plan, which has resulted in Celsius now intending to begin the process to apply to register the shares in a new publicly traded Bitcoin mining company that will be owned by Celsius customers (the “Mining NewCo”).

Additionally, the feedback seems to have also imparted the initial plan of transferring the firm’s assets to the Fahrenheit Group. As noted in the filing, Celsius estates will retain certain of the assets in order to be monetized by the plan administrator. 

However, based on the SEC’s feedback, the Debtors, in consultation with the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (the “Committee”), have determined that certain of the assets that were to be transferred to the Fahrenheit NewCo must, for regulatory reasons, be retained by Celsius’s estates to be administered and monetized by the Plan Administrator and/or Litigation Administrator for the benefit of creditors.

Celsius Commits To Massive Crypto Repayment: $2 Billion To Creditors By 2023’s End

Celsius Network, a bankrupt digital asset lender, has revealed plans to begin repaying creditors using billions of dollars in crypto assets before the year’s end. 

The company presented a restructuring plan, outlined in a recent filing to a US bankruptcy court, which aims to generate funds for a new corporate spinoff known as “NewCo” and facilitate customer repayments.

Celsius Vows To Clear $2 Billion Debt

According to the filing, the plan outlines a distribution of at least $2.03 billion in cryptocurrency to creditors, with the actual amount subject to fluctuations in the cryptocurrency market. 

This distribution will occur as soon as reasonably practicable after the plan becomes effective, either through the NewCo transaction or an orderly wind down. The NewCo transaction, sponsored by the Fahrenheit Group, is a key component of the plan. 

It involves the creation of a new cryptocurrency company owned by customers, focusing on Bitcoin mining and staking. NewCo, which aims to maximize liquidity by listing on NASDAQ, will be managed by experienced crypto-native operators from Fahrenheit. 

The group has committed to injecting up to $50 million as an equity stake in NewCo, aligning the interests of Fahrenheit and creditors who will own shares in the new company.

In the event that the NewCo transaction cannot be completed, the plan includes an orderly wind-down option that would provide creditors with better recoveries compared to a Chapter 7 liquidation.

Celsius’s legal representative, Christopher S. Koenig, also revealed that the restructured company, expected to emerge from Chapter 11, will receive $450 million in capital and financial backing. 

However, the focus remains on the successful execution of the NewCo transaction, which would mark a significant milestone as the first revival of a failed crypto platform under Chapter 11, following the industry’s wave of insolvencies last year.

While the approval of Celsius’s plan is under deliberation by Judge Martin Glenn, some customers who have been unable to access their funds have expressed opposition. 

Additionally, an affiliate of Lantern Ventures owed approximately $82 million, has challenged the plan, claiming overvaluation of the new business by Celsius’s advisors. Clearance from securities regulators will also be necessary for the new venture.

It is important to note that if the new company were to fail, liquidation could become a possibility, potentially resulting in lower repayments for customers. 

Nonetheless, Celsius Network’s proposed plan represents a significant effort to repay creditors and potentially revitalize the company, providing hope for both the cryptocurrency industry and affected stakeholders.

Celsius

At present, the native token of the company, CEL, is trading at $0.1535, reflecting a 1.1% decline over the past 24 hours. However, it is noteworthy that the token has experienced a notable upward trend in the last 30 days, exhibiting a substantial surge of over 21% during this period.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com