Maple Finance has closed the first tranche of a Bitcoin-backed financing facility from global investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald.

The deal is part of Cantor’s $2 billion Bitcoin financing initiative, which also included a facility for FalconX. The program aims to provide institutional leverage against Bitcoin (BTC) holdings, reviving confidence in crypto lending after collapses like Celsius and BlockFi in 2022.

“This financing facility through Cantor enables Maple to accelerate its growth and expand its reach as a provider of digital asset credit,” said Sidney Powell, CEO and Co-Founder of Maple, in a note to Coin Insider Daily.

 The company positions itself as a crypto-native asset manager with institutional experience, targeting rising demand for regulated crypto credit access.

It’s time to ‘unlock Bitcoin’s full potential’ 

Cantor, now active in several crypto-focused ventures—including a partnership with Tether and SoftBank to launch Bitcoin accumulator Twenty One Capital—views this initiative as a strategic move to scale digital asset finance.

 “We are excited to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential and continue bridging the gap between traditional finance and digital assets,” said Michael Cunningham, Head of Bitcoin Financing at Cantor.

Anchorage Digital served as custodian on the Maple Finance (SYRUP) transaction, ensuring regulated settlement and storage of the Bitcoin collateral.

Crypto-backed lending markets are showing signs of recovery, with total outstanding loans rebounding to $36.5 billion by Q4 2024, up from a post-crash low but still under the 2021 peak of $64.4 billion, according to Galaxy Research.

Maple’s participation in Cantor’s facility signals renewed momentum in institutional crypto lending, driven by structured financing and renewed market confidence.