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Silvergate Capital Corporation (SI) Business Update Conference Call Transcript
SICPSilvergate Capital(SICP)2023-01-07 00:53

Silvergate Capital Corporation (SI) Business Update Conference Call Summary Company Overview - Company: Silvergate Capital Corporation (SI) - Date of Call: January 5, 2023 - Participants: CEO Alan Lane, CFO Tony Martino, President Ben Reynolds, and various analysts from financial institutions Key Industry Insights - Digital Asset Industry: The digital asset industry is experiencing a significant transformation, marked by over-leverage leading to high-profile bankruptcies and a crisis of confidence among participants [6][8] - Market Dynamics: Many industry players have adopted a risk-off approach, resulting in decreased trading activity and a decline in deposits [6][8][25] Financial Metrics - SEN Performance: The Silvergate Exchange Network (SEN) maintained an average daily volume of 1.3billioninQ42022,upfrom1.3 billion in Q4 2022, up from 1.2 billion in Q3 2022 [7] - Deposit Decline: Total deposits from digital asset customers fell to 3.8billionbyDecember31,2022,downfrom3.8 billion by December 31, 2022, down from 11.9 billion at the end of Q3 2022 [8] - Cash Position: Silvergate held approximately 4.6billionincashandcashequivalents,exceedingthedepositsfromdigitalassetcustomers[9]SecuritiesSale:Thecompanysold4.6 billion in cash and cash equivalents, exceeding the deposits from digital asset customers [9] - **Securities Sale**: The company sold 5.2 billion in debt securities during Q4 2022, incurring a loss of 718million[10]StrategicActionsWorkforceReduction:Silvergateannouncedaworkforcereductionofapproximately200employees(40718 million [10] Strategic Actions - **Workforce Reduction**: Silvergate announced a workforce reduction of approximately 200 employees (40%) to manage expenses in light of the current economic realities [12] - **Product Portfolio Streamlining**: The company is focusing on providing value-added solutions for core digital asset customers and has exited the mortgage warehouse lending product [13] - **Impairment Charge**: An impairment charge of 196 million was taken in Q4 2022 related to developed technology assets from the Diem Group, reflecting the challenges in launching a blockchain-based payment solution [14] Future Outlook - Liquidity Management: Silvergate aims to maintain a highly liquid balance sheet with minimal credit exposure, ensuring flexibility for customers [15] - Customer Behavior: The company is monitoring deposit flows and customer behavior closely, acknowledging the volatility in the digital asset space [25][70] - Market Confidence: Despite the challenges, there is a belief that institutional clients remain committed to the digital asset space and may return when market conditions improve [28] Regulatory and Legal Considerations - Compliance: Silvergate emphasizes its commitment to compliance and risk management, particularly in light of ongoing litigation related to FTX and Alameda [50][52] - Regulatory Engagement: The company has maintained ongoing engagement with regulators, ensuring transparency in its operations [53] Additional Insights - SEN Leverage Product: The SEN Leverage product continues to perform well, with zero forced liquidations to date, despite a decline in overall activity [74] - Future of Diem Assets: While there are still personnel working on the Diem project, the launch of a tokenized dollar is not imminent due to current market conditions [87] This summary encapsulates the critical points discussed during the conference call, highlighting the challenges and strategic responses of Silvergate Capital Corporation in the evolving digital asset landscape.