More than $170 billion has been erased from the cryptocurrency market due to concerns over the Mt. Gox bitcoin payout.
Bitcoin’s price plummeted over 6% in 24 hours, reaching $54,237, marking its lowest point since late February 2024.
The total cryptocurrency market lost over $170 billion in market capitalization within the same timeframe, according to CoinGecko.
The Mt. Gox bankruptcy estate’s trustee announced on Friday that repayments in Bitcoin have commenced for certain creditors via specified cryptocurrency exchanges.
What is, or was, Mt. Gox Bitcoin?
The Mt. Gox Bitcoin payout pertains to the reimbursement process for creditors of the defunct Mt. Gox cryptocurrency exchange. Previously the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox fell in 2014 due to a significant hack, leading to the loss of about 740,000 Bitcoins.
Following extensive legal battles and postponements, the exchange is poised to start disbursing roughly $9 billion in Bitcoin and Bitcoin cash to its creditors. This payout is noteworthy as it entails a substantial return of bitcoin to users, which may influence the cryptocurrency market dynamics.