Cantor’s $2 Billion Bitcoin Lending Business Makes First Transactions

Cantor’s Bitcoin lending business has carried out its first transactions, the investment banking giant announced on Tuesday, underscoring its increasing presence in the crypto space.

Prime broker FalconX and crypto lending protocol Maple Finance were the first companies to draw on the financing.

The New York-based Cantor, part of Cantor Fitzgerald, expects to make up to $2 billion in financing available in this first phase, the company said.

“Early on, Cantor recognized the transformative impact digital asset financial services would have on the global economy,” said Cantor Chairman Brandon Lutnick, in a statement. “This achievement highlights how the combination of Cantor’s deep expertise and entrepreneurial spirit creates a distinct advantage on Wall Street and further solidifies our position as a leading investment bank for crypto and digital asset clients.”

The initiative also highlights the growing intersection between the crypto industry and traditional finance.

Cantor unveiled its Bitcoin financing business last July, months before the firm’s co-founder and former CEO, Howard Lutnick, was tapped to lead the U.S. Department of Commerce by President Donald Trump. The firm’s new business aims to provide leverage to investors who own Bitcoin.

“Digital assets have lacked the institutional-grade credit infrastructure that’s essential to well-functioning capital markets,” said Josh Barkhordar, head of U.S. sales at FalconX. “This collaboration between Cantor and a crypto-native firm represents a significant step toward building that framework, enabling digital assets to function with the same depth and reliability as traditional markets.”

Cantor Fitzgerald is using crypto platforms Anchorage Digital and Copper to help safeguard clients’ digital assets as collateral managers and custodians, Cantor Fitzgerald said in early March.

Copper, a London-based firm that provides custody and settlement solutions to institutional investors, was founded in 2018. The company’s platform allows customers to stake digital assets, trade on exchanges, and explore decentralized finance, or DeFi, strategies.

Anchorage Digital, which also caters to institutions, specializes in crypto trading. In 2021, the firm received a federal charter from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, enabling banks to use Anchorage Digital’s platform to provide services to customers.

The New York Department of Financial Services gave Anchorage Digital a green light to work with firms like Cantor Fitzgerald in December. The NYDFS granted Anchorage Digital a so-called BitLicense, permitting the firm to service those in the world’s financial capital.

Edited by Andrew Hayward