Genesis warns of bankruptcy if it can't raise $1 billion

Genesis Global Trading has reportedly been telling investors that Genesis may need to file for bankruptcy if its attempts to raise at least $1 billion in new capital don't succeed. The firm revealed its exposure to FTX last week, halting withdrawals from its lending service and acknowledging that its derivatives arm has $175 million in funds locked in the bankrupt exchange.

The Wall Street Journal then reported that Genesis had been seeking a $1 billion emergency loan due to a "liquidity crunch due to certain illiquid assets on its balance sheet".

The halting of withdrawals from Genesis' lending business has already had major downstream impacts, as it is a major partner of other crypto lending services. Gemini and Coinhouse both followed Genesis in suspending withdrawals, as did other firms including Donut and GOPAX.

A Genesis bankruptcy would be a monumental event in crypto, with enormous downstream exposure.