• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Some Fortune Crypto pricing data is provided by Binance.
The CoinsCryptocurrency

Crypto exchange FTX passes on deal to buy Celsius due to deficient balance sheet

By
Jamie Crawley
Jamie Crawley
and
CoinDesk
CoinDesk
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jamie Crawley
Jamie Crawley
and
CoinDesk
CoinDesk
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 30, 2022, 11:01 AM ET
FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried
FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried attends the Bitcoin 2021 conference in Miami.Eva Marie Uzcategui—Bloomberg/Getty Images

Cryptocurrency exchange FTX passed on a deal to purchase beleaguered crypto lender Celsius after examining the poor state of its finances, The Block reported Thursday.

FTX had talks with Celsius over an acquisition but walked away on account of a “$2 billion hole” in the lender’s balance sheet, according to the report, which cited two people with knowledge of the matter.

The Sam Bankman-Fried-helmed crypto exchange also found Celsius hard to deal with, one of the sources said.

Celsius’s woes have been among the major touchpoints of the recent troubled conditions in the crypto market. On June 13, the lender paused withdrawals citing “extreme market conditions,” raising concerns about its solvency.

The lender’s token CEL is down over 13% on the day, according to data by CoinMarketCap, having dropped from around $0.73 at 13:00 UTC to under $0.62 less than an hour later.

FTX appears to have been in a bullish mood for acquisitions of late, with news emerging last week that it wishes to take a stake in another troubled crypto lender BlockFi. And earlier this week FTX was also reported to be looking into acquiring trading platform Robinhood (HOOD).

Celsius could not immediately be reached for comment on the report. FTX declined to comment when contacted by CoinDesk.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Authors
By Jamie Crawley
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
By CoinDesk
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in The Coins

A picture of Bitcoins
The CoinsCryptocurrency
The crypto market may be out of gas as Bitcoin dips under $100k and altcoins plummet
By Carlos GarciaNovember 6, 2025
29 days ago
Brad Garlinghouse smiles at the camera.
The CoinsVenture Capital
Ripple says Fortress, Citadel Securities invest $500 million
By Emily Mason and BloombergNovember 5, 2025
1 month ago
A man in a black hoodie and glasses is speaking
The CoinsCryptocurrency
Altcoin giant Animoca Brands aims to go public next year, listing will test investor appetite for exotic crypto assets
By Carlos GarciaNovember 4, 2025
1 month ago
A man tries to pull a coin with a BTC logo up a mountain.
The CoinsBitcoin
Crypto’s big ‘Uptober’ ends with a whimper, Bitcoin down 4%
By Carlos Garcia and Ben WeissOctober 31, 2025
1 month ago
Two men are looking at monitors while trading
The CoinsCryptocurrency
Crypto’s second wave of ETFs arrives, investors snap up new Solana offering
By Carlos GarciaOctober 31, 2025
1 month ago
Michael Saylor on stage at a Bitcoin conference.
CompaniesBitcoin
Michael Saylor boosts yield, says Strategy is at an ‘inflection point’
By David Pan, Judy Lagrou and BloombergOctober 30, 2025
1 month ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Two months into the new fiscal year and the U.S. government is already spending more than $10 billion a week servicing national debt
By Eleanor PringleDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
‘Godfather of AI’ says Bill Gates and Elon Musk are right about the future of work—but he predicts mass unemployment is on its way
By Preston ForeDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nearly 4 million new manufacturing jobs are coming to America as boomers retire—but it's the one trade job Gen Z doesn't want
By Emma BurleighDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang admits he works 7 days a week, including holidays, in a constant 'state of anxiety' out of fear of going bankrupt
By Jessica CoacciDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs and the $38 trillion national debt: Kevin Hassett sees ’big reductions’ in deficit while Scott Bessent sees a ‘shrinking ice cube’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Real Estate
‘There is no Mamdani effect’: Manhattan luxury home sales surge after mayoral election, undercutting predictions of doom and escape to Florida
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 4, 2025
1 day ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.