Celsius Unstake's $470M in Ethereum: A Step Towards Creditor Repayment

Jide Idowu -

Celsius's Strategic Unstaking of Ethereum Assets

Celsius, the crypto lending platform currently navigating bankruptcy proceedings, has embarked on a significant financial move. The firm is set to unstake approximately 206,300 Ether (ETH), valued at around $468.5 million, in preparation for repaying its creditors. This decision is part of Celsius's broader strategy to rebalance its crypto assets, including Ether, to ensure sufficient liquidity for upcoming asset distributions.

Bankruptcy and Restructuring: The Celsius Saga

Since its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in July 2022, Celsius has been working on restructuring its operations. Part of this process involves recalling its staked Ethereum, which has been generating staking rewards income. The move to unstake and liquidate these holdings is a critical step in offsetting costs incurred during the restructuring and facilitating timely distributions to creditors.

Implications for Creditors and Ethereum Markets

This development is a glimmer of hope for Celsius customers, who have been awaiting the return of their funds for over 18 months. Under the proposed recovery plan, Celsius aims to distribute Bitcoin (BTC) and/or Ethereum (ETH) to its creditors. Notably, blockchain analytics firm Nansen reports that Celsius owns almost a third of the ETH in the current withdrawal queue.

While there are concerns that this large-scale unstaking might negatively impact Ethereum's market price, others view it as a positive long-term move for Ethereum. The sentiment is that the removal of Celsius's influence from the Ethereum ecosystem could ultimately benefit the market.

In addition to its asset rebalancing, Celsius announced a post-bankruptcy strategy focused on Bitcoin mining in November 2023. However, this shift has met with skepticism from the judge overseeing the bankruptcy case, reflecting the ongoing complexities in Celsius's path to recovery.

A Pivotal Moment for Celsius and Its Customers

As Celsius proceeds with its significant Ethereum unstaking, the crypto lending platform is at a pivotal juncture. This move is crucial in fulfilling its obligations to creditors and reshaping its business strategy amidst the turbulent crypto landscape of recent years.