The company reportedly denied any exposure to troublesome sister loan company Haru Invest before suspending the transfers earlier this month.
According to a report by local news outlet Digital Asset, South Korean crypto lending firm Delio is currently under investigation by the country’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) as of June 30. decision to suspend user deposits and withdrawals on June 14.
During an extraordinary investor meeting on June 17, Jung Sang-ho explained that the company would resume withdrawals, albeit without a fixed schedule at the time. On June 27, the company began opening withdrawals for a portion of its staking services.
“[Delio] will get as much capital as possible to make up,” Sang-ho said. Delio is currently one of the largest cryptocurrency lenders in South Korea, with around $1 billion in Bitcoin (BTC), $200 million in Ether (ETH), and $8.1 billion in various altcoins. Its chief executive and management team have been barred from leaving the country pending an investigation by prosecutors.
On June 13, Delio’s sister company, Haru Invest, suspended withdrawals and deposits, citing an issue with a “consignment operator.” The move prompted Delio to do the same the next day, presumably due to the counterparty’s exposure. Since the announcement, Haru Invest has cut most of its staff. The company says that it is currently taking legal action against its service partner.
As a Registered Virtual Asset Provider (VASP), Delio is regulated by the country’s Financial Intelligence Unit. However, Haru Invest is not a VASP and therefore not under the jurisdiction of regulators. It was alleged that Delio’s management denied exposure to Haru Invest shortly before its decision to suspend withdrawals.