Fitch Ratings flags Bitcoin-backed securities for ‘high market value risk’

Fitch said sharp Bitcoin price swings could quickly erode collateral backing these securities, increasing the risk of losses for lenders and investors.

Credit rating company Fitch Ratings has flagged a high degree of risk associated with Bitcoin-backed securities, a warning that could complicate the expansion of crypto-linked credit products among institutional investors.

In a Monday assessment, Fitch said Bitcoin-backed securities, financial instruments typically structured by pooling Bitcoin (BTC) or Bitcoin-linked assets and issuing debt against that collateral, carry “heightened risks” that “are consistent with speculative-grade credit profiles.”

The agency said such characteristics could place the products in speculative-grade territory, a designation associated with weaker credit quality and a higher likelihood of losses.

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