Mt. Gox Commences its Bitcoin Repayment Process Amid Market Decline

After a long wait, Mt. Gox declared it would start paying back its creditors. The repayments—confirmed by Mt. Gox trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi—will be made in Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH). The collapse of the exchange had a ripple effect on the whole cryptocurrency space, exposing gaps in regulatory supervision and security.

The decision to pay creditors back in Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash was made with Japanese bankruptcy regulations and return maximization in mind, according to Nobuaki Kobayashi, the court-appointed trustee supervising Mt. Gox’s bankruptcy procedures.

Before this, the trustee had liquidated substantial sums of Bitcoin to raise money for repayment, which alarmed creditors about when and how payments would be made. Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash repayments are being announced at a turbulent moment for the cryptocurrency markets. Widespread volatility has been observed in recent weeks, with significant drops in the value of Bitcoin and other major digital assets.

Trustee Explains Repayment Process, Will Go Through Special Procedures 

Opponents contend that depending on the state of the market at the time of sale, the trustee’s choice to distribute Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash during a market slump may affect the value acquired by creditors. After years of uncertainty, some creditors voiced cautious optimism, stressing that retrieving any percentage of their lost capital is a welcome development.

Legal experts believe that the case of Mt. Gox may establish significant guidelines for similar bankruptcy cases using cryptocurrency in the future. Kobayashi Nobuaki has highlighted the procedure the repayment process will follow. In his explanation, the process will be conducted through specially selected cryptocurrency exchanges, also stipulated in the rehabilitation plan.

Kobayashi also stated that suitable repayment will be made after properly clarifying whether the proposed benefactor meets the requirements of an average account holder in the company. Prospects are also expected to agree to the Agency Receipt Agreement, which is part of the requirements by the company’s Rehabilitation Trustee by design.

Company Names Participating Institutional Trustees, Bitbank, Others Makes the List

Future approaches to circumstances comparable to this one in other jurisdictions will probably be influenced by how creditor claims and asset distributions are handled in exchange insolvency cases. According to the trustee, more distributions are on the way, contingent on how the continuing legal process will play out and the availability of funds.

Exchanges approved by trustees at the defunct Mt. Gox to handle the repayment process are Bistamp, Bitbank, BitGo (the Japanese-based),  SBI VC trade, and  Kraken. The report says that some Mt. Gox customers must exercise patience for up to three months to get their payouts. The waiting time depends on the exchange the affected customer chooses to process their claim.

In the early hours of today, a cold wallet that belongs to  Mt. Gox moved 47,228 units of BTC valued at almost $2.7 billion to multiple unknown accounts. Bitcoin dropped earlier today to $53,898, leaving it to trade at $55,496 five hours after the initial price drop.

Market Analysts Predict Return of the Bear,  Bitcoin Price Drops 

The announcement by the company’s management shed light on the falling prices of the cryptocurrency market, which has something to do with the company’s repayment exercise. This scenario is most expected considering the market’s reaction a few days after the company made its intentions public.

Analysts contemplate the bear’s return in a week, considering the selling pressure experienced by the recent German government’s cryptocurrency activities and the Mt. Gox repayment process. Recall Mt. Gox was launched in 2010 by Jed McCaleb and became the top globally acclaimed cryptocurrency exchange, controlling 70% of the world’s Bitcoin trading volume.

Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy in 2014 after being attacked multiple times, a situation that led to a loss of 950,000 Bitcoins, but  140,000 were retrieved from the hackers after the company filed for bankruptcy. Two of the hackers of Russian nationality were later arrested in connection to the act when trying to move 647,000 BTC (investigation shows) belonging to the defunct exchange.