The Bank Slate

INSIGHTS INTO THE BANKING INDUSTRY

Silvergate Capital in California files for bankruptcy protection

Silvergate Capital, which voluntarily liquidated its bank, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware.

The holding company for the now-defunct Silvergate Bank in La Jolla, Calif., shut down amid the collapse of crypto exchange FTX. The decision to liquidate in March 2023 preceded the high-profile failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank.

Silvergate Capital, which had no remaining business lines, said it will divide its remaining $163 million in cash among stakeholders. It expects to fully repay bondholders and make payments to those who hold preferred equity; it does not expect to repay those who hold common stock.

In a related filing, Chief Administrative Officer Elaine Hetrick said the company’s bankruptcy was the “culmination of a successful process led by the debtors’ directors and management to repay all of Silvergate Bank’s depositors and wind down its operations as a result of headwinds within the digital asset industry followed by a shift in regulatory approach that made [the bank’s] business model untenable.”

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