Canadian pension fund Caisse admits loss on investment in Celsius

One of the largest pension funds in Quebec, Caisse de dépôt et Placement du Québec (CDPQ), has declared investments in the cryptocurrency lending company Celsius unprofitable.

CDPQ said it was “too early” to use the tools of the growing digital economy. In 2021, the fund invested $150 million in Celsius, approximately 4% of the funds under its management. CDPQ CEO Charles Emond noted that the fund has been prudent before betting on the cryptocurrency industry, which he says is “in transition.”

“Unfortunately, due diligence is not a 100% guarantee of success. The investment was preceded by extensive preparatory work. It was attended by many independent experts and consultants. We recognize that the responsibility lies with our teams, although we have approached the issue of investing with extreme caution. We also sympathize with the thousands of clients whose funds were frozen in the Celsius bankruptcy,” Emond said at a press conference in Montreal.

While the wave of defaults by crypto companies has forced U.S. pension funds to be more cautious about investing in digital assets, it has not dampened their interest in cryptocurrencies. Despite losses during the bearish market, North American pension funds remain optimistic about cryptocurrencies, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier, the supervisory authorities of Canada and the United States launched an investigation into the financial activities of Celsius. Regulators will check the crypto lender for possible violations against citizens of Quebec and other provinces of the country.