Alan Lane said a “coordinated attack” by the Biden administration made Silvergate’s continued operation untenable and prompted its liquidation. Former Silvergate Bank CEO Alan Lane said political and regulatory pressure from the Biden administration drove the crypto-focused lender’s voluntary wind-down in 2023, arguing that the bank remained solvent after weathering a deposit run. In an inaugural Substack post on Tuesday, Lane said Silvergate could have continued operating after satisfying withdrawals equivalent to 70% of its demand deposits during the fourth quarter of 2022. He argued that a “coordinated attack by the Biden Administration” ultimately led to the wind-down, saying the bank chose liquidation “in the face of political pressure.” Lane said Silvergate had held liquid assets that could be sold or pledged as collateral during periods of heavy withdrawals. In a January 2023 business update, the bank reported that digital asset deposits fell 68% from $11.9 billion to $3.8 billion during the quarter. S...
Former Silvergate executive Kate Fraher said the rule that prevented her from sharing her side of the story was unconstitutional. It was finally lifted by the SEC this week. The former chief risk officer of Silvergate revealed she made the decision to settle with the US securities regulator in 2024 to avoid a “multi-year battle” in court, where she was accused of misleading investors about anti-money laundering rules and how the bank monitored crypto customers. In her first public comments about her settlement with the SEC on Wednesday, Kate Fraher claimed that no financial agency proved that Silvergate’s anti-money laundering controls had failed, and that she only opted to settle to “move forward.” Fraher had agreed to a civil penalty of $250,000 and was banned from serving as a company executive or board director for five years. Read more