Alameda Research, the trading arm of the bankrupt digital-asset exchange FTX, has filed a lawsuit against Grayscale Investments alleging “exorbitant management fees” and accusing Grayscale of “improperly preventing redemptions” from the Bitcoin and Ether trusts it manages.
(Bloomberg) — Alameda Research, the trading arm of the bankrupt digital-asset exchange FTX, has filed a lawsuit against Grayscale Investments alleging “exorbitant management fees” and accusing Grayscale of “improperly preventing redemptions” from the Bitcoin and Ether trusts it manages.
“We will continue to use every tool we can to maximize recoveries for FTX customers and creditors,” John J. Ray III, chief executive officer and chief restructuring officer of the FTX Debtors, said in the statement. “Our goal is to unlock value that we believe is currently being suppressed by Grayscale’s self-dealing and improper redemption ban.”
A spokesperson for Grayscale said the lawsuit was “misguided”: “Grayscale has been transparent in our efforts to obtain regulatory approval to convert GBTC into an ETF – an outcome that is undoubtedly the best long-term product structure for Grayscale’s investors. We remain confident in the common sense, compelling legal arguments that will be argued tomorrow before the D.C. Court of Appeals.”
For two years, the $14.8 billion Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (ticker GBTC) has been trading at a steep discount to the cryptocurrency it holds. The group of FTX debtors said they are seeking injunctive relief to unlock $9 billion or more in value for shareholders of the two Grayscale trusts.
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Alameda said it owned $290 million worth of shares in Grayscale’s Bitcoin and Ether trusts as of March 3. Lawyers for the company allege that if Grayscale were to cut fees and allow redemptions, that stake would rise in value to more than $540 million, according to the complaint.
The FTX group also asserted claims against Grayscale parent Digital Currency Group as well as against Barry Silbert and Michael Sonnenshein. The lawsuit was filed in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware.
–With assistance from Vildana Hajric and Jeremy Hill.
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