Ethereum Treasury Company Sells ETH at a Loss: Aave Altcoin Connection Emerges
BTCS sold Ethereum to protect its $64 million Aave loan from liquidation. The $1,717 price level has become a key threshold for ETH.


Nasdaq-listed Ethereum treasury company BTCS has disclosed that it sold part of its ETH holdings below their original purchase cost to reduce the liquidation risk associated with approximately $64.1 million in debt on the decentralized finance (DeFi) platform Aave. According to the company's third-quarter financial report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), 46,676 ETH had been pledged as collateral against the loan as of November 9, 2026. In its November 13 analysis, CoinDesk noted that Ethereum falling to approximately $1,717 could trigger liquidation proceedings, assuming the debt and collateral amounts remain unchanged.
Why Is BTCS's Aave Loan at Risk?
According to BTCS's November 9 figures, its outstanding debt on Aave had reached $64.1 million, including accrued interest.
The 46,676 ETH pledged as collateral was worth approximately $99.3 million, based on the Ethereum price of $2,127 used in the company's calculations.
As a result, the collateral value represented approximately 155% of the total outstanding debt.
However, a decline in Ethereum's price reduces the dollar-denominated value of the collateral. According to CoinDesk's calculations, the loan's health factor stood at approximately 1.24 based on the debt and collateral amounts recorded on November 9.
On Aave, a health factor falling below 1 can make a borrowing position eligible for automatic liquidation.
The report identified $1,717 as the estimated liquidation threshold when Ethereum was trading at approximately $1,950.
This price is not a definitive forecast of future market movements. The liquidation threshold could change if the company repays part of its debt, adds collateral, or carries out other transactions.
Ethereum Sales Were Executed at a Loss
In its SEC filing, BTCS confirmed that some Ethereum sales had been executed below the assets' original acquisition cost.
The company explained that the sales were intended to manage collateral levels and health factors associated with its DeFi borrowing positions.
However, BTCS did not disclose how much ETH was sold specifically for this purpose or how much of its total realized loss was attributable to those transactions.
At the end of September, BTCS held approximately $463,000 in cash and cash equivalents. The company also reported that a substantial majority of its digital assets were being used as collateral on Aave.
The scale of the borrowing is particularly noteworthy. In April 2025, the company had approximately $320,000 in outstanding debt backed by 446 ETH. By November 2026, its Aave obligations had exceeded $64 million.
BTCS reported that no liquidation had occurred as of November 11.
How Could Ethereum's Price Decline Affect the Company?
A decline in Ethereum's price could increase pressure on BTCS's outstanding debt by reducing the value of its collateral.
Under such circumstances, the company might need to provide additional ETH collateral, reduce its debt, or sell more assets.
However, the course of action would depend on the company's liquidity, its current position on Aave, and prevailing market conditions.
With a substantial portion of its collateral tied up in a DeFi protocol, effective cash management becomes particularly important.
Kriptofoni Analysis
BTCS's decision to sell Ethereum holdings at a loss highlights the risks cryptocurrency treasury companies may face when borrowing through DeFi platforms.
A decline in Ethereum's price does more than reduce the value of assets on a company's balance sheet. It can also increase the risk of automatic liquidation on collateralized borrowing positions.
Nevertheless, the $1,717 level represents a conditional calculation based on the company's position as of November 9. Without knowing its current debt and collateral amounts, the figure should not be treated as BTCS's definitive liquidation price.
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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not investment advice. Cryptocurrencies are high-risk; make investment decisions based on your own research.

Content Editor and Writer
Dr. Mesut İnan is a researcher, academic and crypto journalist who has been producing content about cryptocurrencies since 2018. He brings a different perspective to the industry by combining his expertise in sociology with the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Before joining Kriptofoni as co-founder, content editor and writer, İnan worked for several cryptocurrency media platforms: he was an editor and writer at Kriptokoin from 2018 to 2023 and at COINTURK from 2023 to 2024. İnan made a valuable contribution to the ecosystem with his book on Bitcoin, "Bitcoin Sen Bizim Her Şeyimizsin" (Bitcoin, You Are Our Everything). Alongside his academic background, his regular analyses, news and commentary have made him one of the well-known names in cryptocurrency journalism in Turkey. İnan continues his work as a writer and educator and remains a prominent expert voice in the cryptocurrency field.
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