Silvergate Bank plans to offer loans

LONDON: The holding company of cryptocurrency-friendly Silvergate Bank, Silvergate Capital Corporation, announced that the firm plans to offer cryptocurrency-collateralized loans. In an S1/A form filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Aug. 15 the bank notes:

"We believe there may be attractive opportunities to provide digital currency borrowing facilities to deepen our high quality customer relationships and further enhance our interest income."

In the document, the firm states that it found significant demand for cryptocurrency-related borrowing. The service would consist of the client providing crypto assets or U.S. dollars as collateral in exchange for significantly greater credit. The bank would then "set a conservative aggregate lending amount to refine the product, and will develop a risk framework to minimize risk and further develop lending models over time."

The company stated that it anticipates to offer the cryptorelated credit product to institutional clients later this year. Silvergate also notes that it found significant desire from its clients for the bank "to be involved in the custody and transfer of digital assets between customers."

Owler estimates Silvergate Bank's annual revenue to be $30 million. As Cointelegraph reported in March, Silvergate Bank signed on a slew of new cryptocurrency customers including cryptocurrency exchanges and miners, custodians and global investors, among others in the fourth quarter of 2018.

In 2018, Silvergate's deposits derived from cryptocurrency customers reportedly increased by $150.4 million, or around 11.4%.