Silicon Valley Bank Implodes: Tech Industry Shaken
EDITOR'S CHOICE

Silicon Valley Bank Implodes: Tech Industry Shaken

written by John Murphy | March 13, 2023

The once mighty Silicon Valley Bank Implodes as its high-risk investments prove catastrophic, leaving investors and tech giants reeling. In the midst of a region recognized because of its technical brilliance and intelligent decision-making, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was formed four decades ago.

The company, which had its headquarters in California, expanded into the 16th-largest bank in the United States and handled the funding commitments of tech businesses across the globe before crumbling as a consequence of a series of poor investment strategies.

Silicon Valley Bank: What is it?

Prior to its failure and placement into FDIC receivership, SVB, a well-known technological lender, was recognized by the Federal Reserve as the 16th-largest bank in the United States. The bank mainly served early-stage tech businesses as well as shareholders who were engaged in the field.

“SVB delivers banking and finance services to assist you as you benefit from company opportunities, raise some money, safeguard equity, handle cash flows, and reach international markets,”

according to a statement on the company’s website.

As of December 31, 2022, the bank’s assets totaled 209 billion dollars. The failure of SVB comes in second place in terms of scale among banks in existence, only being overtaken by that of Washington Mutual Inc., which was also the greatest failure of its type ever since the economic meltdown of 2008.

What Happened To SVB?

SVB’s services were in significant demand all through the outbreak years as the favored banker for the tech industry. As consumers made considerable expenditures on gadgets and electronic services in the middle of 2020, the early economic shock of Covid-19 rapidly began to give way to glory days for new companies and established technology companies.

Due to the fact that many tech firms used SVB to deposit the funds they used to use for wages and other company needs, contributions increased substantially. As banks do, the bank deposits a substantial portion of the assets. 

When it made significant investments in long-term US government securities, particularly those guaranteed by mortgages, the elements of its downfall were planted. These were as safe and secure as homes in all means and intents.

However, the price of bonds falls when interest rates do, owing to the inverse connection that exists between them. As a consequence, SVB’s bond portfolio was beginning to lose a significant amount of value when the Reserve Bank began raising interest rates swiftly to combat inflation.

SVB would regain its capital if it could retain those bonds in its control for a few more years until they matured. However, many of the bank’s clients began to withdraw from their deposits as the market weakened during the preceding year, particularly with tech companies getting negatively affected.

SVB started to sell some of its assets at massive losses since it didn’t have that much money readily available, which frightened investors as well as customers. The gap between when it declared that it had, in fact, sold the financial assets and the moment it crashed was only 48 hours.

What Caused The SVB Run?

Due to the fact that banks only hold a fraction of their assets in cash, they are liable to a surge in customer demand. Even with the reality that SVB’s problems are a consequence of previous investment strategies, the run was initiated on March 8 when the company confirmed a 1.75 billion dollar capital offering.

It informed investors that the selling of its loss-making bond holdings had left a gaping hole that would have to be filled.

Now that the customers knew about SVB’s grave financial troubles, they began making large-scale transactions of cash. Clients of SVB often had significantly bigger accounts when compared to a retail bank that services both families and companies. 

This indicated that the bank run happened quickly. The 200 billion dollars American firm, which had stated it would raise capital, broke two days later and became the worst US financial crash since the worldwide financial meltdown.

What Happens To Customers of SVB And its Depositors?

The Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara (DINB), in accordance with the FDIC, was founded as an entirely new corporation, and all guaranteed assets at Silicon Valley Bank were instantly transferred to the newly established bank. 

On Monday morning, March 13, all depositors who are guaranteed will have credentials to their secured deposits, as per an announcement from the FDIC. 

A receivership declaration for the remaining money of unprotected depositors’ funds will additionally be provided, alongside an advanced return within a week to uninsured depositors. The FDIC declared that the corporate headquarters and its 17 branches would reopen for service on March 13.

The agency reported that all finance procedures, such as internet banking and other operations, would continue no late than Monday, March 13. Official checks drawn on Silicon Valley Bank will keep processing. Every depositor per insured bank is backed by the FDIC’s regular insurance of up to 250,000 dollars per depositor. 

What Are Tech Investors And SVB’s Customers Saying?

Crypto Twitter reacts to the SVB major crisis and says ‘Nobody left to bank crypto companies’.

The CEO of Binance “Changpeng Zhao” recently tweeted; Binance does not have exposure to SVB. Funds are #SAFU.

A tech investor Mohammad Yusuf goes by saying, US regulators will protect all deposits at Silicon Valley Bank.

Saigol, after the SVB bank crash, says, “No losses associated with the resolution of Silicon Valley Bank will be borne by the taxpayer,”…So they will just print the money?

Micheal manual writes a tweet saying, To this curious about the #bankcrash of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank and how the Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund is being used as a backstop…

The shoe lady also highlights the crisis by saying, Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Threatens 1500 Companies and BC Public Service Pensions $55 Million sunk in #SVBCollapse.

Another customer, Krishna Chaitanya says, Silicon valley bank collapsed in the US, its assets are worth $209 billion, due to the heavy loss in the tech industry, Bank takes a bad hit in the past few months, and the people withdraw the money looking its collapse, Bank announced they can’t pay back #SiliconValleyBank.

Conclusion:

In the years before its Silicon Valley Bank Implodes, Silicon Valley Bank was a favored lender for IT companies. How SVB’s demise will ripple through the wider economy remains an unresolved question. When news of the FDIC’s takeover of the company emerged, other bank stock dropped. So, in short, this is a major bank crisis to be seen.