Wall Avenue’s first try at a public bond sale backed by bitcoin loans has hit some turbulence after bitcoin’s sharp decline triggered pressured liquidations.
Bankers at Jefferies have spent months pitching institutional buyers on a $188 million asset-backed bond deal tied to hundreds of loans issued by crypto lender Ledn, in response to Wall Avenue Journal reporting.
The construction is designed to bundle one-year loans made to people who put up bitcoin as collateral, with proceeds from the bond sale offering Ledn further capital to increase new credit score.
However the transaction has been examined after bitcoin fell roughly 27% since mid-January, prompting margin calls throughout the mortgage pool. Ledn was pressured to liquidate about one-quarter of the loans supposed to again the deal, in response to WSJ.
In different phrases, the bitcoin-backed credit score product confronted a stress take a look at fairly early on when bitcoin worth volatility triggered margin calls throughout the mortgage guide.
Ledn’s bonds are expected to pay buyers between 3 and 6 proportion factors above benchmark charges.
Jefferies, which has been increasing its presence in structured finance, has more and more supplied extra advanced and fewer examined asset-backed merchandise.
The financial institution has additionally pushed additional into crypto dealmaking, together with advising buying and selling platform NinjaTrade on its $1.5 billion sale to trade Kraken final 12 months.
Initially, Jefferies informed buyers the Ledn bonds could be supported by $199 million in bitcoin-backed loans and $1 million in money. That blend has shifted considerably following the liquidations, with roughly $150 million of loans and $50 million of money now forming the collateral pool, the WSJ reported.
In different phrases, what was marketed as a bond supported primarily by interest-generating loans is now backed much more closely by money, displaying fragility of the construction throughout sharp drawdowns.
S&P’s bitcoin bond scores
Regardless of the disruption, the bond deal stays scheduled to shut on Feb. 18, in response to S&P International Rankings, which assigned a score to the notes. Ledn should now redeploy liquidation proceeds into new loans to generate the curiosity earnings wanted to satisfy funds to bondholders.
The S&P scores outlined the construction and key dangers behind Ledn Issuer Belief 2026-1. S&P stated the preliminary collateral pool consisted of 5,441 fixed-rate balloon loans to 2,914 debtors, with an combination principal steadiness of about $199.1 million as of Dec. 31, 2025.
The loans are secured by roughly 4,079 bitcoin, valued at roughly $356.9 million on the cutoff date, with a weighted-average rate of interest of 11.8% and a weighted-average loan-to-value ratio of 55.8%.
The report famous that bitcoin’s sharp decline in early February pressured Ledn to liquidate a “vital share” of loans slated for the deal. S&P stated all liquidations have been executed beneath an 81.4% LTV threshold, shifting the portfolio combine towards fewer loans and additional cash within the funding account, whereas retaining the overall collateral bundle at $200 million.
S&P’s evaluation targeted on borrower default habits, restoration charges throughout liquidation, and focus threat.
The company stated margin-driven defaults symbolize probably the most acute stress state of affairs as a result of liquidations happen when bitcoin costs are falling, probably into skinny or unstable markets the place execution slippage issues most.
As a result of Ledn underwrites loans based totally on bitcoin collateral somewhat than borrower credit score profiles, S&P stated conventional client mortgage efficiency metrics are restricted.
On the ‘A’ stress stage, the company utilized a conservative 100% default assumption, with modeled stresses for the rated notes together with a 79% default price and 68% restoration for the BBB- class A tranche.
S&P highlighted structural mitigants together with overcollateralization, early amortization triggers, a liquidity reserve funded at 5% of observe steadiness, and Ledn’s automated liquidation engine, which it stated has efficiently liquidated 7,493 loans over seven years with out principal losses.
Nonetheless, S&P flagged key weaknesses, together with bitcoin’s historic volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and a battle of curiosity tied to Ledn’s previous follow of rolling loans by capitalizing unpaid curiosity.
Ledn plans to require money curiosity funds for renewals beginning in 2027, which S&P stated reduces liquidity stress over time.
Based on the WSJ, If bitcoin’s worth drops and a mortgage exceeds 70% of collateral worth, debtors should add extra bitcoin. At 80%, Ledn robotically liquidates collateral to repay the debt.
