Bybit launches $100M support fund for institutional traders

Crypto derivatives exchange Bybit has launched a new support fund to help institutional traders access liquidity in the wake of the FTX collapse — an event that triggered a fresh wave of panic selling across the digital asset space.

The support fund, valued at $100 million, is available to market makers and high-frequency trading institutions struggling with financial or operational difficulties following the collapse of FTX earlier this month, Bybit disclosed on Nov. 24. The funds will be distributed to eligible applicants at a 0% interest rate.

To be eligible, institutional traders must be active on Bybit or other exchanges. The maximum amount distributed per applicant is $10 million and the funds must be used for spot and Tether (USDT) perpetual trading on Bybit.

Once the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, FTX filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 11 after a coordinated bank run exposed the firm for being insolvent. A scandal ensued after it became apparent that CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was comingling funds between FTX and sister firm Alameda Research, which resulted in an $8 billion hole in FTX’s balance sheet. As Cointelegraph reported, FTX’s 50 largest creditors are owed more than $3 billion.

Several companies exposed to FTX have reported financial and liquidity constraints due to its collapse. Bitcoin (BTC) lender BlockFi is considering bankruptcy, while the Digital Currency Group-backed Genesis Global Trading recently halted new loan originations.