Vauld halts client withdrawals and hires advisors for potential restructuring

Quick Take

  • Vauld, a Singapore-based crypto trading and lending platform with operations in India, has suspended withdrawals.
  • The firm has also hired legal and financial advisors for potential restructuring options.

Vauld, a Singapore-based crypto trading and lending platform with most of its team in India, has become the latest crypto firm to halt customer withdrawals amid the market tumult.

CEO Darshan Bathija said in a blog post on Monday that the firm has "made the difficult decision to suspend all withdrawals, trading and deposits on the Vauld platform with immediate effect."

Vauld is struggling financially due to a combination of factors, including a volatile market and the financial difficulties of business partners, according to Bathija. Since June 12, the platform has seen customer withdrawals of nearly $198 million, triggered by the implosion of the TerraUSD stablecoin, Celsius's decision to halt withdrawals and Three Arrows Capital's woes, said Bathija.

Vauld is open to potential restructuring options. To that end, the firm has hired Kroll as its financial advisor and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas and Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP as its legal advisors in India and Singapore, respectively.

"Our management remains fully committed to working with our financial and legal advisors to the best of our abilities to explore and analyse all possible options, including potential restructuring options, that would best protect the interests of Vauld's stakeholders," said Bathija.

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Vauld is currently also in discussions with potential investors, according to Bathija.

"We intend to apply to the Singapore courts for a moratorium i.e. a suspension of the commencement or continuation of any proceedings against the relevant companies so as to give us breathing space to carry out the proposed restructuring exercise," he added.

Vauld (formerly Bank of Hodlers) is backed by high-profile investors, including Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures, Coinbase Ventures and Pantera Capital. The firm has raised $27.5 million in total funding to date.

The news comes less than a month after Vauld said it “continues to operate as usual despite volatile market conditions” on June 16. “We do not have any exposure to Celsius or Three Arrows Capital, and we remain liquid despite market conditions. Over the last few days, all withdrawals were processed as usual and this will continue to be the case in the future,” the firm said at the time. 


© 2023 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

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Yogita Khatri is a senior reporter at The Block, covering all things crypto. As one of the earliest team members, Yogita has played a pivotal role in breaking numerous stories, exclusives and scoops. With nearly 3,000 articles under her belt, Yogita holds the records as The Block's most-published and most-read author of all time. Prior to joining The Block, Yogita worked at crypto publication CoinDesk and The Economic Times, where she wrote on personal finance. To contact her, email: [email protected]. For her latest work, follow her on X @Yogita_Khatri5.