FTX Hones In On BlockFi Purchase At $25M

BlockFi, Celsius, Nexo, and more: tough times can lead to difficult measures, and this year’s bear market is showing no exception to some of these players. Look no further than the current state of affairs for centralized finance (CeFi) platforms, who have been facing substantial headwinds with no end in sight. Now, after days of rumors and reported exploratory deals, reports have emerged that powerhouse crypto exchange FTX is putting together the final ties around an acquisition deal of BlockFi at just a $25M valuation. The news comes after reports emerged that FTX passed on an acquisition deal for Celsius after seeing the CeFi firm’s balance sheet. BlockFi On The Block Should the purchase come to fruition at the reported valuation, it’ll be a major hit for BlockFi equity holders, following a nearly $5B valuation last year in the midst of bull market movement. However, that $25M number could move drastically between today’s reports and closing time – and a successful acquisition will of course take months to close. BlockFi CEO Zac Prince described the number as “market rumors” and outright denied the number, stating in a tweet that “we aren’t being sold for $25M.” FTX is on the shortlist of exchanges that have sought out opportunity in the midst of crypto market downturn, exploring buyouts or equity share purchases for both Celsius and BlockFi in recent weeks, according to...