Crypto lender BlockFi — having filed for chapter weeks after the collapse of FTX — is planning to promote round $160 million of Bitcoin (BTC) miner-backed loans, Bloomberg reported.
The loans are collateralized by roughly 68,000 BTC mining machines, as per the report — which cited nameless sources.
Some loans have already defaulted and a few have additionally turn into under-collateralized following the steep fall in BTC mining rigs final 12 months, in response to the report.
BTC miners down 85%
The value of BTC miners fell by round 85% over the previous 12 months, in response to Hashrate Index Information. Moreover, the autumn in BTC worth in 2022 — alongside the rising value of energy — squeezed miner margins, impacting demand for the BTC mining rigs.
BlockFi was a significant lender within the embattled mining sector, which has seen a number of gamers wrestle with liquidity over the previous 12 months. One of many largest gamers, Core Scientific, filed for Chapter 11 chapter in December 2022.
In the meantime, Argo Blockchain bought its Texas mining facility to Galaxy Digital for $65 million — securing a $35 million mortgage from the agency in late December 2022.
