Shame, suicide attempts, 'financial death' - the devastating toll of a crypto firm's failure

Many Celsius customers were enticed by lavish interest rates offered by a program in which they would allow Celsius to lend their crypto deposits to others. — Getty Images/TNS

In September last year, Alex Mashinsky was riding high.

Appearing on a panel sponsored by Johns Hopkins University to talk about bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Mashinsky, the chief executive of the crypto banking firm Celsius, exuded confidence about the future of crypto and disdain for traditional banks and traditional currencies.