The Washington Post: Silvergate's bad debts are all deposits, not assets

According to ChainCatcher news, the Washington Post reported that if Silvergate Capital Corp. collapses, it could become the first bank to fail due to bad liabilities rather than bad assets, as its bad debts are all deposits rather than assets. Silvergate's deposits are not deposits in the conventional sense; they resemble floating cash held by remittance companies like MoneyGram International or Western Union. The only reason Silvergate attracts cash is to settle transactions involving a specific group of assets, but the speed at which Silvergate's deposits move may be much slower than the speed of this cash float. As long as market interest in cryptocurrencies declines, depositors will begin to disappear.

Previously, Silvergate disclosed that it might be "capital deficient" and is "reassessing its business and strategy." (Washington Post)