Outflows from Binance accelerated to $6bn in the first half of this week, while accounting firm Mazars has halted its work on crucial «proof of reserves» reporting as the crypto exchange battles to avert a crisis of confidence. The net withdrawals increase pressure on Binance, which suffered $1bn of outflows in a single day on Tuesday and is battling to reassure investors of its financial strength following the collapse of rival crypto exchange FTX. Mazars had produced «proof of reserves» reports for Binance and other exchanges, including Crypto. To prepare a proof of reserves report, an auditor uses procedures agreed with the company but does not vouch for whether those procedures are appropriate.
Mazars’ decision to halt work on proof of reserves reports was not driven by specific financial problems at any of the companies, said a person briefed on its decision. Some people at Mazars feared that, despite caveats in its reports, the firm was «lending credibility to a very volatile sector» and felt it had been «naive» and «silly» to take on the work, the person added. Binance said the Mazars report was «additional validation» the exchange’s assets were equal to or greater than its liabilities to customers. «Over the past week, Binance passed a stress test that should give the community extraordinary comfort that their funds are secure,» the exchange said yesterday, adding it was able to fulfil recent withdrawals «without breaking stride».
Binance has said it holds more than $60bn in assets, enough to honour withdrawals. «We are financially OK,» Zhao said, adding he would leave such issues to Binance’s lawyers. Yesterday, the exchange re-emphasised its plans to deliver proof of reserves to its customers but did not commit to a timeline. «We have reached out to multiple large firms, including the Big Four, who are currently unwilling to conduct a proof of reserve for a private crypto company and we are still looking for a firm who will do so,» the exchange said.
Several audit firms have said they had elevated some or all of their crypto-related clients to the status of «high risk», triggering more thorough work that will take longer and lead to higher bills. KuCoin said it was aware of Mazars’ decision and was «open to work with any leading and reputable audit ».
And this is how the downfall of a crooked platform can lead to the downfall of a serious one.
ReplyDeleteBinance needs to do something and fast or it risks having many more people lose confidence in them and withdraw more money. The herd instinct is unfortunately kicking in.
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