AscendEX Withdrawal Woes Signal Liquidity Crisis for Mid-Sized Crypto Exchanges
AscendEX (formerly Bitmax) has been hit by a massive withdrawal freeze, with user funds stuck in 'Initiating' status and no on-chain transaction hashes, raising fears of liquidity insolvency. The platform suffered a $78 million loss from a 2021 Lazarus hacker attack and has long lacked proof of reserves and third-party audits, undermining transparency. This incident highlights the existential challenges facing mid-tier crypto exchanges amid tightening regulation and industry consolidation.

