Crypto Hedge Fund Founders’ Assets Frozen Between Legal Turmoil

A British Virgin Islands court has placed a freezing order on assets worth around $1 billion that belong to the co-founders of the troubled cryptocurrency hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC). This is a recent event in the cryptocurrency space.

The court’s order places restrictions on the transfer and sale of assets worth up to $1.14 billion, explicitly naming Su Zhu, Kyle Davies, and Davies’ spouse Kelly Chen. This judicial intervention is a reaction to accusations made by the liquidators that the founders caused a major decline in 3AC’s financial condition. After the firm collapsed in 2022, creditors are projected to owe over $3.3 billion, which represents a major failure for one of the biggest hedge funds that was born out of the cryptocurrency space.

According to the liquidators, Zhu and Davies forced 3AC to take on significant leverage in May and June 2022, which made the fund’s already unstable financial position worse. This action was taken in response to significant losses on investments in misguided Luna tokens. In order to recoup the damages from 3AC’s creditors, the liquidators have filed a lawsuit against the founders in a British Virgin Islands court.

The founders had already been accused by Teneo, the liquidator appointed by the British Virgin Islands court, of not cooperating meaningfully, which has added to the legal complications surrounding 3AC’s demise. The freezing order serves to safeguard the interests of creditors while also examining the founders’ conduct during the fund’s collapse.

Early in 2023, 3AC founders Su Zhu and Kyle Davies revealed grand ambitions to raise $25 million to create a new cryptocurrency exchange amidst the legal unrest. However, given the ongoing legal disputes and the freezing of significant assets, this project confronts uncertainty.

Su Zhu’s legal journey takes a personal turn as a result of his legal issues in Singapore. Zhu was apprehended in September as he tried to flee Singapore, and he was sentenced to four months in prison. He was questioned in December about the events that led to 3AC’s demise before a Singaporean court.

The cryptocurrency community is keeping a careful eye on the court proceedings, hoping that the intricate legal and financial issues involving Three Arrows Capital and its founders can be resolved.