Crypto Exchange Bakkt Operation Is At Risk Of Collapse

Key Points:

• Crypto exchange Bakkt operation is warned of possible closure due to financial struggles.
• A cash shortage jeopardizes Bakkt’s operations for the next year.
• Despite going public in 2021, Bakkt’s financial challenges reflect crypto industry volatility.

Crypto exchange Bakkt issued a warning on Wednesday, indicating that it may face challenges in sustaining its operations due to financial constraints.

Crypto Exchange Bakkt Operation: Warning of Possible Closure

Crypto exchange Bakkt operation, initially launched in 2018 under the umbrella of the New York Stock Exchange’s owner, disclosed to regulators this week its potential inability to continue functioning amidst cash shortages, citing the rapidly evolving landscape of the crypto industry.

The company, once celebrated for its partnerships with major entities like Starbucks and Mastercard, revealed in an SEC filing on Tuesday that it lacks adequate cash reserves to support operations over the next 12 months.

Bakkt, established by Intercontinental Exchange, which also owns prominent derivatives exchanges and the NYSE, initially aimed to facilitate Bitcoin purchases for Starbucks customers. However, it later shifted its focus to providing crypto trading and custody services to financial institutions and fintech firms.

Bakkt’s Struggles Highlight Crypto Industry’s Volatility

Despite going public via a SPAC in 2021 and entering the stock market with a valuation of $2.1 million, Bakkt finds itself grappling with financial uncertainties. The crypto exchange Bakkt operation, steered by its first CEO, future U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, has seen strategic shifts, including the introduction and subsequent discontinuation of a digital wallet in 2021 as it pivoted towards business-to-business technology services.

In an amended quarterly report, Bakkt updated its risk disclosures, acknowledging the pressing financial challenges it faces. “We might not be able to continue as a going concern,” the company admitted in its SEC filing, highlighting concerns about the sufficiency of its cash and restricted cash to sustain operations.