I don't follow crypto, so these are actual questions, not trolling: - If Celsius is a trading platform, how can Celsius itself owe anybody anything? - My naive understanding is that cryptocurrency, being based on blockchain, is a log of universally agreed upon, legitimate transactions. So how can there be a liquidity crisis at all, let alone one in the billions? How is the platform allowing transactions not backed by…
The answer is - it's not all on the blockchain. The vast majority of transactions involving bitcoin are nowhere near a blockchain, they're all on a database (or similar tech) that the exchange runs. Blockchain transactions only occur on deposit or withdrawl of funds into or out of the exchange. If (as in the case of an entity like Quadriga CX) somebody 'accidentally' removes and loses most of the cryptocurrency, the exchange can continue to operate for quite some time, so long as everyone doesn't try to withdraw at once.