In the past 24 hours, crypto wallets linked to the now-defunct FTX exchange and Alameda Research have seen movement of over $8 million in digital assets. This includes the transfer of 2,000 units of Ethereum, valued at approximately $6.36 million, to Coinbase, and 163,727 PROM tokens, worth around $2.04 million, to Binance. The surge in the broader crypto market has likely influenced these transactions, with Bitcoin hitting over $57,000 for the first time since November 2021.
Analysts speculate that these recent transfers could indicate an attempt by the struggling companies to capitalize on the rising prices of these tokens. In the last month alone, FTX and Alameda moved 10,447 ETH, valued at $27.6 million, to centralized exchanges, coinciding with a 42% increase in ETH’s value. Despite these movements, the firms still hold a substantial amount of digital assets, with a total of $901 million. FTX controls $530 million spread across 18 addresses, while Alameda has $371.39 million in assets, according to SpotOnChain data.
FTX’s Restructuring Efforts
The recent asset transfers come amidst FTX’s ongoing restructuring efforts, which involve divesting various assets, including crypto holdings and shares in multiple companies. The exchange recently received court approval to sell its 8% stake in Anthropic, an AI startup that it initially invested around $530 million in back in 2022. With Anthropic’s valuation now standing at $15 billion, FTX’s investment has more than doubled, reaching over $1 billion. In addition, FTX has also offloaded a significant portion of its shares in Grayscale’s Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) following the trust’s transition into an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
These asset sales are part of FTX’s strategy to settle its debts after postponing plans for a potential relaunch in January. By restructuring its portfolio and capitalizing on the surge in crypto prices, FTX aims to strengthen its financial position and navigate through challenging market conditions. The movements of digital assets by FTX and Alameda Research underscore the evolving nature of the crypto industry and the strategic decisions that companies are making to adapt and thrive in this dynamic environment.