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Silicon Valley Bank

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was a commercial bank founded in 1983 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, that specialized in financial services for technology startups, venture capital firms, and innovation-driven companies.^[1]^[2] By late 2022, it held approximately $209 billion in assets, ranking as the 16th-largest bank in the United States, with a client base concentrated in the tech sector where over 90% of deposits were uninsured and thus vulnerable to rapid outflows.^[3] SVB's growth accelerated dramatically from 2019 to 2021, tripling in size amid low interest rates and abundant venture capital funding that funneled deposits into the bank, which it then invested heavily in long-duration U.S. Treasury and mortgage-backed securities without adequate hedging against rate changes.^[1] This strategy exposed the bank to severe unrealized losses when the Federal Reserve raised interest rates sharply starting in 2022 to combat inflation, devaluing its bond portfolio by billions and eroding capital as tech sector slowdowns prompted deposit withdrawals.^[4] On March 9, 2023, SVB announced plans to sell securities at a loss and seek capital, sparking a classic bank run accelerated by social media coordination among uninsured depositors, leading to $42 billion in outflows in a single day and the bank's failure on March 10—the second-largest in U.S. history by asset size.^[5]^[4] Federal regulators, including the FDIC and Federal Reserve, attributed the collapse primarily to SVB's senior management's "textbook case of mismanagement," including inadequate interest rate risk controls, concentrated funding risks from uninsured tech deposits, and over-reliance on growth without robust oversight, compounded by supervisory delays in addressing known vulnerabilities despite the bank's designation for heightened regulation post-2018.^[4]^[6] In response, the FDIC seized SVB, created a bridge bank, and facilitated its assets' transfer to First Citizens BancShares, while systemic measures like the Bank Term Funding Program were introduced to stem contagion, backstopping all deposits to avert broader panic despite initial uninsured exposure.^[5]^[7] The episode underscored causal vulnerabilities in regional banks pursuing yield in prolonged low-rate environments, where quantitative easing inflows masked risks until policy normalization exposed them.^[8]

Founding and Early Development

Establishment in 1983

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was launched on October 17, 1983, as a state-chartered commercial bank headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and initially operated as a member of the Federal Reserve System.^[1] ^[9] The institution was established by Bill Biggerstaff and Robert Medearis, with Roger Smith serving as its first CEO; they opened the bank's inaugural office on North First Street in San Jose to target the emerging needs of technology entrepreneurs in the region.^[9] This founding addressed a gap in traditional banking, as established institutions like Bank of America often declined to lend to high-risk, innovative startups lacking collateral or proven revenue models prevalent in Silicon Valley's nascent venture-backed ecosystem.^[10] From inception, SVB focused on providing specialized deposit, lending, and advisory services tailored to tech firms and venture capital entities, differentiating itself through relationship-based banking that prioritized understanding clients' cash flow cycles over conventional credit metrics.^[1] By the end of its first year, the bank reported total assets of $18 million, reflecting modest initial scale amid the competitive landscape of California banking.^[11] This establishment coincided with Silicon Valley's transition from hardware-focused innovation to software and biotech ventures, enabling SVB to build early credibility by aligning with regional economic drivers rather than broad consumer or industrial lending.

Initial Focus on Silicon Valley Startups

Silicon Valley Bank was established on October 17, 1983, in Santa Clara, California, specifically to serve the financing needs of early-stage technology startups in the region, which traditional banks largely ignored due to their high risk and lack of tangible collateral.^[9] Conceived by Bill Biggerstaff, a former Wells Fargo executive, and Robert Medearis, a Stanford University professor, during a poker game, the bank targeted entrepreneurial firms in emerging sectors like semiconductors, software, and biotechnology.^[3] Joining them was Roger Smith, who brought expertise from Wells Fargo's Special Industries Group in tech lending, enabling SVB to underwrite loans based on intellectual property, future revenue potential, and venture capital commitments rather than standard assets.^[12] From inception, SVB pioneered venture debt—a form of financing designed for startups post-equity rounds, allowing companies to extend runway without immediate dilution.^[13] This model involved close monitoring of VC portfolios, with loans often secured against anticipated funding milestones and ecosystem indicators, such as regional innovation clusters.^[14] Bank staff, many with direct startup or VC backgrounds, provided not only capital but also advisory services on cash management and growth strategies, filling a void left by larger institutions wary of unproven ventures.^[15] In its early years through the 1980s, SVB cultivated symbiotic ties with venture capitalists, positioning itself as an embedded player in Silicon Valley's funding ecosystem to source and de-risk deals.^[3] This focus yielded a concentrated client base of high-growth startups, though it exposed the bank to sector-specific volatility; nonetheless, it established SVB as indispensable for fueling innovation in an era when federal data showed limited banking penetration among nascent tech firms.^[1] By prioritizing causal links between VC activity and startup viability over conventional credit metrics, SVB achieved early differentiation, supporting thousands of companies that matured into scalable enterprises.^[9]

Growth and Expansion

During the late 1990s dot-com boom, Silicon Valley Bank experienced significant growth aligned with the surge in technology startups and venture capital investments. The bank's specialization in providing banking services to early-stage tech firms, including credit lines and deposit accounts, positioned it to capitalize on the era's optimism, with notable clients such as Cisco Systems contributing to expansion.^[16]^[17] In 2000, SVB raised $91 million through a common stock public offering, reflecting confidence in its tech-focused model amid valuations peaking for internet-based companies.^[17] Its shares on Nasdaq multiplied approximately fourfold from early 1999 to September 2000, mirroring the broader Nasdaq Composite's rise.^[18] The dot-com bust beginning in March 2000 triggered sharp contractions for SVB as numerous client startups faced bankruptcies, layoffs, and funding droughts. Deposits declined from $4.5 billion to $3.4 billion by the end of 2001, driven by client cash withdrawals amid economic distress.^[19] The bank's stock price fell more than 50% in 2001 alone, exacerbating pressures from elevated nonperforming loans tied to failed ventures.^[17]^[3] This period tested SVB's vulnerability to sector-specific cycles, with the Nasdaq dropping over 75% from its peak by October 2002, though SVB's loan losses remained relatively contained compared to broader credit challenges.^[20] SVB navigated the bust through its established relationships with venture capital firms and surviving startups, which facilitated recovery by maintaining a pipeline of viable clients post-downturn. Prior financial resilience, including 21 consecutive profitable quarters achieved by the mid-1990s, provided a buffer against immediate insolvency.^[17] Unlike many peers, the bank avoided outright failure by focusing on deposit stability and niche services rather than overextending into riskier assets, enabling stabilization and eventual international expansion, such as offices in the UK and Israel during the 2000s.^[21]^[3] This episode underscored SVB's adaptability to tech volatility but highlighted ongoing exposure to concentrated client risks.^[22]

National and Global Scaling Post-2008

Following the 2008 financial crisis, during which SVB Financial Group received $235 million in federal TARP funds to bolster capital, Silicon Valley Bank capitalized on the tech sector's recovery and surging venture capital activity to scale operations beyond its California roots. The bank pursued targeted geographic expansion to serve innovation-driven clients, reflecting the broader post-crisis rebound in startup funding, which rose from $20 billion in U.S. venture deals in 2009 to over $130 billion by 2017.^[3] Internationally, SVB established a full branch in the United Kingdom and a joint venture in China in 2012 to support cross-border tech investments and startups.^[3] This was followed by further entries into Canada and additional European markets, including Denmark, Germany, Ireland, and Sweden, during the 2010s, enabling the bank to finance global venture-backed firms and facilitate international cash management for U.S.-based tech companies expanding abroad.^[1] By year-end 2022, these efforts contributed to SVB's international operations accounting for a notable share of its client base, with offices in over 10 countries outside the U.S.^[3] Domestically, SVB extended its footprint into other U.S. tech and biotech clusters, building on earlier East Coast presence to include expanded facilities in Atlanta, Chicago, and Seattle-area markets for startup banking.^[23] In 2018, it opened a New York City office to target East Coast venture capital and fintech clients, followed by a larger downtown Boston location in 2020 to accommodate over 100 employees serving life sciences and tech firms.^[24] ^[25] These moves aligned with hiring expansions in 2022 for startup teams in Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Austin, and Washington, D.C., as deposits from VC-backed companies grew amid low interest rates and equity fundraising peaks.^[26] This scaling supported steady asset growth, with total assets rising gradually from the late 2000s through 2018—reaching approximately $50 billion by year-end 2018—before accelerating to $212 billion by 2022, fueled by uninsured deposits exceeding 90% of the total, primarily from concentrated tech and healthcare sectors.^[1] ^[27] SVB's focus on specialized lending to venture firms and their portfolio companies positioned it as a key financier for 44% of U.S. venture-backed tech and healthcare IPOs by late 2022, though this client concentration later amplified vulnerabilities.^[3]

Business Model and Risk Profile

Specialized Services for Tech and VC Clients

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) developed banking services tailored to the operational realities of technology startups, which often feature irregular cash flows, high burn rates, and reliance on venture funding rounds rather than traditional revenue streams. These services included venture debt financing, which provided non-dilutive capital to investor-backed companies, typically structured as term loans with warrants allowing SVB to purchase equity at favorable terms. By 2022, SVB had extended over $6.5 billion in such loans to early- and mid-stage tech firms, positioning it as the largest provider in the sector.^[28]^[29]^[30] For cash management, SVB offered customized treasury solutions accommodating the lumpy deposit patterns of startups, including sweep accounts, foreign exchange hedging for international expansion, and tools for monitoring equity-linked inflows from funding rounds. These were complemented by advisory services such as M&A guidance, stock and bond underwriting, and access to capital markets, which helped clients navigate growth without adhering to conventional banking norms. SVB served approximately half of all U.S. venture-backed technology companies, fostering long-term relationships that extended from seed-stage account openings to scaling operations.^[31]^[32]^[13] Venture capital firms received dedicated investor solutions, including fund administration, custody services, and debt financing options for portfolio companies, often leveraging SVB's global network for cross-border transactions. Through its SVB Capital arm, the bank co-invested in VC funds and startups, gaining proprietary insights into emerging opportunities and risks, which informed lending decisions and client referrals. This symbiotic model—where VCs directed portfolio deposits and borrowing to SVB—created a concentrated ecosystem, with VC-backed tech and life sciences firms comprising the majority of its client base.^[33]^[34]^[35]

Asset-Liability Management and Investment Practices

Silicon Valley Bank's asset-liability management (ALM) practices centered on funding a growing portfolio of long-duration assets with short-term, uninsured deposits from technology and venture capital clients, creating a pronounced duration mismatch. This approach relied on maturity transformation, where short-term liabilities supported investments with extended maturities, assuming stable low interest rates and deposit stickiness. However, the bank's risk models underestimated deposit volatility and interest rate shifts, leading to inadequate liquidity buffers and exposure to rapid outflows. By December 31, 2022, 94% of deposits exceeded the FDIC insurance limit, amplifying liquidity risks in a rising rate environment.^[27]^[4] The investment portfolio comprised primarily fixed-income securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS), and other government-sponsored enterprise obligations, which grew rapidly amid surging deposits from 2020 to 2022. At year-end 2022, investment securities totaled $120.1 billion, representing about 57% of the bank's $211.8 billion in total assets, far exceeding peer averages where such holdings typically constituted less than 30%. Approximately 78% of these securities were classified as held-to-maturity (HTM), with the remainder in available-for-sale (AFS) categories; the HTM portfolio alone reached $91 billion by early 2023, up from $15 billion in 2018. Around 65% of HTM securities had maturities exceeding five years, contributing to a weighted-average duration of 6.2 years for the HTM holdings.^[36]^[1]^[27] Interest rate risk management focused on short-term net interest income (NII) optimization rather than long-term economic value of equity (EVE) sensitivity, with models incorporating optimistic assumptions about deposit betas and rate paths. The bank discontinued hedges against rising rates in early 2022—previously used to mitigate potential losses—prioritizing protection against rate declines, which extended portfolio duration and breached internal long-term risk limits that had been violated since 2017. This left the portfolio unhedged as the Federal Reserve raised rates from near zero in March 2022 to 4.5% by December, generating unrealized losses of $15.2 billion on HTM securities and $2.5 billion on AFS by year-end. Supervisors noted unreliable IRR simulations and insufficient stress testing, with asset growth outpacing ALM enhancements despite repeated examiner findings from 2020 onward.^[4]^[27]^[1]

Concentrations in Uninsured Deposits and Sector Exposure

Silicon Valley Bank's deposit base exhibited extreme concentration in uninsured funds, with approximately 94% of its total deposits—valued at around $175 billion as of December 31, 2022—exceeding the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's $250,000 per depositor limit.^[1]^[37] This figure far surpassed industry norms, placing SVB in the top percentile among banks with over $50 billion in assets for uninsured leverage exposure.^[38] Such concentrations amplified liquidity vulnerabilities, as uninsured depositors—often institutional entities with large, mobile balances—demonstrated heightened sensitivity to perceived risks, facilitating rapid outflows during stress events.^[8] The composition of these deposits underscored SVB's niche focus, deriving predominantly from technology startups, venture capital firms, and related entities in life sciences and biotechnology sectors.^[39]^[40] By serving nearly half of U.S. venture capital-backed technology and life-science companies, the bank benefited from procyclical inflows during periods of abundant venture funding, such as the low-interest-rate environment post-2020, which swelled deposits by over 200% from 2019 levels.^[27] However, this reliance fostered correlated depositor behavior, where downturns in venture capital activity—exacerbated by rising interest rates and reduced funding rounds—triggered synchronized withdrawals, heightening systemic run risks absent in more diversified banking portfolios.^[41]^[42] Sector-specific exposure extended beyond deposits to lending and advisory services, with loans heavily tilted toward early-stage tech ventures funded by venture capital, comprising a disproportionate share of SVB's portfolio relative to broader banking peers.^[43] This specialization, while yielding high-margin relationships during boom cycles, embedded the bank in the volatility of innovation-driven industries, where funding dries up amid economic tightening, as evidenced by a 2022 venture capital slowdown that eroded client liquidity and deposit stability.^[44] Regulatory analyses later highlighted how inadequate hedging against these concentrations, combined with insufficient diversification, undermined the bank's resilience to sector-wide shocks.^[45]

Pre-Collapse Operations (2018–2022)

Surge in Deposits and Lending

From approximately $50 billion in total deposits at the start of 2018, Silicon Valley Bank's deposit base expanded rapidly to $191 billion by the end of 2021, more than tripling in size amid a surge in venture capital funding to technology and life sciences startups.^[46] ^[27] This growth accelerated particularly between March 2020 ($62 billion) and March 2021 ($124 billion), driven by low interest rates, abundant liquidity from monetary policy, and record-high VC deal volumes that funneled client cash inflows from equity raises, SPAC mergers, and IPO proceeds.^[1] The bank's client concentration—over 90% of deposits from uninsured sources tied to innovation-sector firms—amplified this dynamic, as startups parked operational cash with SVB due to its specialized services and relationships with venture firms.^[1] ^[47] Lending activity paralleled this expansion but grew more modestly, with the loan portfolio focusing on venture debt, growth capital, and lines of credit to early- and late-stage tech clients. Total loans outstanding increased alongside assets, which rose 271% from year-end 2018 to year-end 2021 (versus 29% industry-wide growth), though loans represented only about 35% of assets by December 2022 as excess deposits were directed toward securities investments rather than aggressive loan deployment.^[1] By late 2022, roughly 56% of the loan book consisted of advances to venture capital and private equity firms, reflecting SVB's role in financing portfolio companies during the funding boom. This lending supported client cash burn rates but remained conservative relative to deposit inflows, with low historical loss rates (0.10% in 2021, 0.39% in 2022).^[43] The surge began to moderate in 2022 as Federal Reserve rate hikes curbed VC activity and startup valuations, leading deposits to dip to about $175 billion by year-end amid higher client withdrawals for operational needs.^[48] Overall, this period marked SVB's transformation into a mid-sized player with assets exceeding $200 billion, heavily reliant on cyclical tech-sector liquidity.^[1]

Interest Rate Risks and Unrealized Losses

Silicon Valley Bank's asset-liability management exposed it to elevated interest rate risk through a mismatch between short-term, rate-sensitive deposits and long-duration fixed-rate securities. The bank invested surging deposits primarily in U.S. Treasuries and agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) purchased at low yields during the prolonged period of near-zero federal funds rates post-2008. By classifying much of this portfolio—$91.3 billion in held-to-maturity (HTM) securities by December 31, 2022—as HTM, SVB avoided marking unrealized losses to market value on its balance sheet, understating the economic impact of rate changes.^[49]^[1] The Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hikes, initiated in March 2022 to combat inflation, raised the federal funds rate from 0-0.25% to 4.25-4.50% by December 2022, causing bond prices to fall inversely with yields. SVB's HTM portfolio had a weighted-average duration of 6.2 years at year-end 2022, up from 4.1 years in 2021, amplifying sensitivity to these shifts; a one-percentage-point rate increase typically reduces the value of such assets by roughly their duration percentage. This resulted in $17.7 billion in aggregate fair-value losses across SVB's securities by December 31, 2022, exceeding the bank's $16 billion in equity capital.^[50]^[4]^[51] SVB exacerbated these risks by prioritizing short-term profitability over comprehensive hedging. Management initially used interest rate swaps to protect against hikes but discontinued them in early 2022, citing cost savings and a focus on gains from potential rate declines, which left the portfolio unhedged as rates rose further. The available-for-sale (AFS) portion, $28.5 billion as of year-end 2022, reflected $2.1 billion in unrealized losses on the balance sheet, signaling distress, while HTM obscured an additional $15.6 billion.^[4]^[27]^[49] This approach, driven by expectations of stable low rates amid tech sector growth, ignored historical precedents of rate normalization and the causal link between policy tightening and fixed-income devaluation.^[4] These unrealized losses remained latent until liquidity pressures forced realizations. In early 2023, to meet deposit outflows, SVB sold $21 billion in AFS securities at a $1.8 billion loss, prompting disclosure of plans to liquidate HTM holdings and raise $2.25 billion in equity, which crystallized the capital shortfall and eroded confidence. Federal Reserve analyses attributed the bulk of SVB's vulnerability to inadequate interest rate risk modeling and governance, rather than exogenous factors alone, as peer banks with similar exposures but better hedging or shorter durations fared better.^[52]^[4]^[38]

The March 2023 Failure

Immediate Triggers and Bank Run

On March 8, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank disclosed a significant capital-raising plan in response to mounting unrealized losses on its securities portfolio, announcing the sale of $21 billion in available-for-sale (AFS) securities at a realized loss of $1.8 billion and intentions to issue $2.25 billion in new equity through common stock and mandatory convertible preferred shares.^[53]^[4] This restructuring aimed to bolster liquidity amid rising interest rates that had devalued the bank's long-duration bond holdings, but the disclosure highlighted vulnerabilities in its asset-liability management, eroding investor confidence overnight.^[4] SVB's stock (SIVB) plummeted approximately 60% in trading on March 9, signaling market fears of insolvency.^[4] The announcement rapidly triggered withdrawal instructions from major venture capital firms, including Founders Fund, which urged its portfolio companies to transfer funds out of SVB due to perceived liquidity risks.^[4] Panic spread quickly through tech industry networks and social media platforms, where influencers and executives amplified concerns about the bank's stability, drawing parallels to past financial crises and accelerating deposit outflows among SVB's tech and startup clients, whose deposits were predominantly uninsured.^[4] Over 90% of SVB's deposits exceeded the FDIC's $250,000 insurance limit, making them susceptible to rapid flight in a crisis of confidence.^[54] By March 9, 2023, SVB faced an unprecedented bank run, with approximately $42 billion in deposit withdrawal requests processed within eight hours—equivalent to nearly 25% of its total deposits—overwhelming its liquidity position despite attempts to access Federal Reserve funding facilities.^[55] The bank could not meet these demands without further asset sales at deeper losses, as its held-to-maturity securities were illiquid and unrealized losses exceeded $15 billion.^[4] This self-reinforcing cycle of withdrawals, driven by the initial disclosure and contagion effects, culminated in the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation closing SVB on March 10, 2023, marking the largest U.S. bank failure since 2008.^[55]^[5]

Regulatory Seizure and FDIC Actions

On March 10, 2023, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) closed Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) after determining that the institution could not meet its obligations, citing a negative cash balance of approximately $958 million as of the close of business on March 9, failed attempts to raise additional capital, and an ongoing deposit run that depleted liquidity.^[56] The DFPI took possession of SVB's property and business, appointing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver to manage the resolution process under federal law.^[5] This seizure marked SVB as the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history by asset size at the time, with approximately $209 billion in assets and $175 billion in deposits.^[57] As receiver, the FDIC immediately transferred all insured deposits—up to the standard $250,000 limit per depositor—to a newly chartered institution to ensure depositor access starting Monday, March 13, 2023, thereby minimizing immediate disruption for insured account holders.^[5] The FDIC also established Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A., a temporary entity under its control, to assume SVB's deposits and substantially all assets, allowing for continuity of operations such as loan servicing and customer access while the agency sought a long-term resolution.^[58] Uninsured depositors initially faced uncertainty, receiving receivership certificates for their claims, though the FDIC estimated potential recoveries based on asset liquidation values.^[5] These actions followed standard FDIC protocols for failed banks, prioritizing insured deposit protection and operational stability to prevent broader contagion, though the scale of SVB's uninsured deposits—estimated at over 90% of total deposits—prompted subsequent interagency intervention.^[57] The receivership process enabled the FDIC to operate SVB's branches and systems through the bridge bank, facilitating payroll and vendor payments for clients in the tech sector.^[5]

Aftermath and Resolution

Bridge Bank Formation and Asset Transfer

On March 13, 2023, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), acting as receiver for Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), transferred all deposits—both insured and uninsured—and substantially all assets of the failed institution to a newly chartered bridge bank named Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A.^[57]^[59] This action followed the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation's closure of SVB on March 10, 2023, and an initial temporary transfer of insured deposits to Deposit Insurance National Bank of Santa Clara earlier that weekend.^[60]^[57] The bridge bank, chartered as a national bank by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), enabled seamless continuation of banking operations, including access to deposits and payment processing for SVB's primarily tech-sector clients.^[60]^[57] The asset transfer encompassed SVB's loan portfolio, investment securities, and other receivables, valued collectively at approximately $209 billion in assets as of the failure date, though the bridge bank assumed these without immediate recognition of losses on held-to-maturity securities.^[57]^[59] All customer deposits totaling around $175 billion, including over $150 billion in uninsured amounts, were fully transferred, backed by a systemic risk determination from the FDIC, Federal Reserve, and Treasury that protected uninsured depositors to avert broader contagion.^[57]^[61] Qualified financial contracts, such as derivatives and repurchase agreements, were also assumed by the bridge bank under FDIC authority, overriding potential contractual non-transfer provisions.^[62]^[63] The FDIC retained certain liabilities and assets in receivership, including potential claims against SVB executives and a shared loss agreement on commercial loans, but the bridge bank's formation prioritized operational continuity over immediate resolution of unrealized losses estimated at $15-20 billion on SVB's bond holdings.^[64]^[59] This structure, governed by Section 11(n) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, allowed the bridge bank to operate under FDIC management until a permanent buyer was secured, minimizing disruptions to SVB's venture capital and startup ecosystem clients.^[57]^[65]

Acquisition by First Citizens Bank

On March 27, 2023, First Citizens Bank, a subsidiary of First Citizens BancShares, Inc., entered into a purchase and assumption agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), acting as receiver for Silicon Valley Bridge Bank, N.A., to acquire substantially all of the bridge bank's assets and assume all of its deposits.^[66]^[67] The transaction, effective the same day, transferred approximately $110.1 billion in assets—including $72.1 billion in loans—and $56.5 billion in deposits to First Citizens, marking a significant expansion for the acquiring institution, which grew its total assets to over $219 billion.^[67]^[68] The deal provided First Citizens with a $16.5 billion discount, equivalent to about 23% off the book value of the acquired assets, primarily reflecting adjustments for credit and other risks in the loan portfolio; separately, the FDIC retained approximately $90 billion in securities and other assets from the original Silicon Valley Bank failure for its own disposition, having already realized substantial losses on those holdings prior to the bridge bank transfer.^[69]^[66] To mitigate potential future losses, the agreement included a commercial shared-loss provision, under which the FDIC agreed to cover 80% of net losses on specified covered loans for the first five years post-acquisition, with First Citizens eligible for 80% reimbursement of recoveries for up to eight years thereafter.^[67]^[64] Operationally, the acquisition enabled seamless continuity for SVB clients, with the 17 former branches of Silicon Valley Bridge Bank reopening immediately under First Citizens branding while preserving SVB's specialized focus on venture capital, technology, and innovation sectors; SVB continued as a distinct division within First Citizens, retaining its client servicing model without interruption.^[70]^[71] This structure allowed First Citizens to leverage SVB's expertise in high-growth industries, contributing to subsequent deposit and loan growth for the combined entity.^[72] In April 2025, First Citizens and the FDIC mutually terminated the shared-loss agreement ahead of schedule, with the FDIC assuming specified remaining assets and liabilities to finalize resolution; this step concluded the core loss-sharing elements of the deal without reported additional costs to the Deposit Insurance Fund beyond initial failure-related outlays.^[73]

Legal Actions Against Executives and Directors

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), as receiver for Silicon Valley Bank, filed a civil lawsuit on January 16, 2025, against 17 former executives and directors, alleging gross negligence, breach of fiduciary duties, and mismanagement that contributed to the bank's March 2023 failure.^[74]^[75] The suit targets six former officers—including CEO Gregory Becker, CFO Daniel Beck, and the chief risk officer—and 11 former directors, claiming they failed to adequately monitor and mitigate interest rate and liquidity risks despite known vulnerabilities in the bank's bond-heavy portfolio.^[76]^[77] The FDIC seeks billions in damages to recoup losses from the collapse, which resulted in a $16.1 billion payout from the Deposit Insurance Fund.^[78] Prior to filing, the FDIC Board of Directors unanimously authorized the action on December 17, 2024, following an internal review that identified deficiencies in risk oversight and governance.^[78]^[79] In parallel, shareholders of SVB Financial Group, the bank's former holding company, pursued consolidated class-action securities fraud lawsuits against executives and the board, alleging violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Securities Act of 1933 through misrepresentations of the bank's liquidity and interest rate risk management.^[80]^[81] A U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California denied motions to dismiss these claims on June 16, 2025, finding sufficient pleading of material omissions regarding deficient internal controls and exposure to uninsured deposits from tech sector clients.^[82] These suits contend that executives downplayed unrealized losses on long-term securities amid rising rates, contributing to a $42 billion bank run on March 9-10, 2023.^[80] No criminal charges have been filed against SVB executives or directors as of October 2025, with regulatory focus remaining on civil recovery rather than prosecution.^[83] The FDIC's claims emphasize failures in basic prudential standards, such as inadequate hedging against rate hikes and over-reliance on volatile venture capital deposits, without attributing intent to defraud.^[77] Defense responses have argued that broader market conditions and regulatory changes post-Dodd-Frank, which relaxed oversight for banks under $250 billion in assets, share causal responsibility, though courts have not yet ruled on these merits.^[76]

Controversies and Critiques

Internal Mismanagement and Governance Failures

SVB's senior management prioritized rapid asset expansion over prudent risk controls, resulting in an unsustainable asset-liability mismatch. From March 2020 to December 2021, the bank's deposits grew from $58 billion to $198 billion, primarily from uninsured tech sector clients, with much of these funds invested in long-duration fixed-rate securities such as mortgage-backed securities and U.S. Treasuries averaging over 6 years in maturity.^[4] This strategy exposed the bank to significant interest rate risk, as rising rates eroded the market value of these holdings, generating unrealized losses of $15 billion by the end of 2022—equivalent to 40% of the bank's Tier 1 capital.^[4] Management's failure to diversify funding sources or shorten asset durations compounded vulnerabilities, as the portfolio's effective duration exceeded 5.5 years without corresponding hedges.^[27] Interest rate risk management was particularly deficient, with executives actively dismantling protective measures amid foreseeable rate hikes. SVB maintained some interest rate swaps through 2021 but discontinued most hedging activities by Q4 2021, even as the Federal Reserve signaled tighter policy; by mid-2022, hedging covered less than 20% of the securities portfolio.^[27]^[42] Internal models underestimated liquidity stress from deposit outflows, assuming stable uninsured deposits despite their concentration in volatile venture-backed firms; stress tests did not adequately simulate correlated runs in the tech ecosystem.^[4] On March 8, 2023, CEO Gregory Becker authorized the sale of $21 billion in securities at a realized loss of $1.8 billion to bolster liquidity, a decision that public disclosure amplified panic without a concurrent capital raise plan.^[4] Governance structures exacerbated these lapses, as the board of directors provided inadequate oversight of enterprise risks. The board's risk committee, comprising non-experts in banking risk, met only quarterly and deferred to management on key metrics like net interest rate sensitivity, which exceeded board-approved limits by late 2022 without remediation.^[42]^[84] SVB eliminated its dedicated Chief Risk Officer position in 2019, redistributing duties to executives focused on growth, leaving no independent voice to challenge optimistic assumptions about deposit stickiness or rate impacts.^[85] Board minutes reflect minimal discussion of liquidity modeling flaws or contingency funding, despite repeated regulatory citations for weak internal controls dating to 2017.^[27] This siloed approach fostered a culture prioritizing client acquisition in Silicon Valley's innovation hubs over conservative balance sheet practices, ultimately undermining the bank's resilience.^[48]

Regulatory Tailoring and Supervision Lapses

The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 amended the Dodd-Frank Act by raising the asset threshold for enhanced prudential standards from $50 billion to $250 billion, exempting regional banks like Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) from requirements such as annual stress testing, comprehensive liquidity coverage ratios, and living wills for resolution planning.^[4] This "tailoring" framework classified SVB, with $209 billion in assets at its March 10, 2023 failure, as a Category IV institution under Federal Reserve guidelines, subjecting it only to basic prudential standards rather than those scaled to its growth from $62 billion in early 2020 or its concentrated exposure to volatile tech-sector deposits.^[4] ^[5] Proponents of the 2018 changes argued they alleviated undue burdens on non-systemic banks, but the Federal Reserve's postmortem review concluded that SVB's exclusion from heightened standards contributed to inadequate oversight of its interest rate risk and liquidity vulnerabilities, as the bank was not required to model severe outflows from uninsured deposits exceeding 90% of its funding base.^[4]^[86] Federal Reserve supervision of SVB, primarily by the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank, exhibited repeated lapses in identifying and escalating risks despite multiple examinations flagging deficiencies. As early as 2017, examiners issued "matters requiring attention" (MRAs) on SVB's interest rate risk management, including insufficient hedging against rising rates, but these were not downgraded to enforcement actions like supervisory agreements.^[4] The 2021 horizontal review of liquidity risk management rated SVB "deficient," citing overreliance on uninsured deposits from venture-backed firms and inadequate contingency funding plans, yet the bank's overall composite rating stayed "satisfactory" through mid-2022.^[4] In November 2022, examiners again highlighted unrealized losses on SVB's $40 billion held-to-maturity bond portfolio—totaling $15 billion by year-end amid Federal Reserve rate hikes—but supervisors delayed rating adjustments and failed to mandate immediate capital raises or asset sales.^[4] These supervision shortfalls stemmed from a combination of resource constraints, overly collegial examiner-bank interactions, and failure to adapt scrutiny to SVB's rapid expansion and sector-specific risks, such as correlated deposit withdrawals triggered by tech funding droughts.^[4] The Fed's review admitted that supervisors "did not fully understand the risks or take sufficiently strong actions," including not issuing a Matters Requiring Immediate Attention (MRIA) on liquidity until February 2023, after deposit flight had accelerated.^[4] Only on March 7, 2023—hours before SVB announced a $1.8 billion loss on bond sales and a $2.25 billion stock offering—did the Fed propose downgrading SVB to "needs to improve" and pursue formal enforcement, but the intervention proved ineffectual amid the ensuing $42 billion run.^[4] Independent analyses, including the Federal Reserve Inspector General's report, corroborated that examiners underestimated run risks from social media-amplified panic among SVB's 85% uninsured deposit base, reflecting broader supervisory hesitancy post-2018 tailoring.^[27]

Debates on Systemic vs. Idiosyncratic Causes

Analyses of the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) failure have divided observers between those attributing it primarily to idiosyncratic factors unique to the institution and those emphasizing systemic vulnerabilities in the U.S. banking sector. The Federal Reserve's review concluded that SVB's collapse stemmed from the bank's failure to hedge interest rate risks on its concentrated holdings of long-duration securities, which lost value amid the Federal Reserve's rate hikes from near-zero levels in early 2022 to over 5% by March 2023, combined with a rapid deposit outflow of $42 billion on March 9, 2023, driven by its client base of tech startups with uninsured deposits exceeding 90% of total liabilities.^[4] This view posits SVB's business model—focused on venture capital and innovation sectors with volatile, concentration-heavy funding—as a key differentiator, where management ignored internal risk warnings and pursued aggressive growth without adequate liquidity buffers, leading to unrealized losses of $15 billion on its securities portfolio by late 2022.^[4]^[27] Proponents of the idiosyncratic interpretation, including some economists, argue that SVB's executives made avoidable errors, such as not diversifying assets or deposits and delaying sales of depreciated bonds until panic ensued, distinguishing it from healthier peers that weathered similar rate shocks through better hedging or funding stability.^[87] Empirical data supports this by showing SVB's securities-to-asset ratio at 40%—far above the industry median—and its deposit base lacking the retail stability of diversified banks, amplified by social media-fueled runs rather than broad contagion.^[38] Steven Kelly of Yale's International Center for Finance contended that SVB's profile did not pose systemic threat, as its failure did not trigger widespread insolvency elsewhere, attributing the episode to "foolish managers" betting on prolonged low rates amid an unstable tech-centric deposit pool.^[87]^[88] Conversely, systemic explanations highlight shared exposures across regional banks, including duration mismatches between long-term assets and short-term liabilities, exacerbated by the post-2008 regulatory tailoring that exempted SVB—assets under $250 billion—from enhanced prudential standards under the 2018 Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, allowing unchecked growth from $60 billion in assets in 2019 to $211 billion by 2022.^[4] Federal Reserve supervisors identified risks in 2021-2022 exams but failed to enforce corrective actions promptly, a lapse echoed in critiques of diluted oversight post-Dodd-Frank reforms.^[4] Stanford economist Amit Seru estimated that 186 U.S. banks held unrealized losses totaling $620 billion as of March 2023, with 10% of their assets in similar securities, suggesting potential for replicated runs if uninsured deposits—averaging 40% at regionals versus SVB's extreme—eroded confidence amid rising rates.^[38] This perspective views SVB as symptomatic of broader fragilities, including over-reliance on uninsured tech/VC funding vulnerable to sector downturns and inadequate stress testing for correlated shocks like the 2022-2023 venture capital contraction, which halved SVB's deposits from peak levels.^[38]^[4] The debate underscores tensions between bank-specific governance failures and structural reforms needed for resilience, with official reports like the Fed's acknowledging both but prioritizing internal mismanagement while recommending tighter supervision for mid-sized institutions to mitigate run risks from uninsured liabilities.^[4]^[27] While contagion was contained—regional bank failures like Signature Bank's involved distinct crypto exposures—no consensus emerged on preempting future episodes, as SVB's rapid demise highlighted how idiosyncratic triggers could exploit systemic gaps in liquidity monitoring and deposit insurance design.^[89]^[90]

Legacy and Broader Impacts

Role in Fostering Innovation

Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) established itself as a pivotal financial institution within the innovation economy by specializing in services tailored to venture capital-backed startups and technology firms. Founded in 1983, SVB pioneered venture debt lending, providing loans designed for early-stage companies with high growth potential but limited collateral, filling a gap left by traditional banks wary of such risks.^[91] This approach enabled startups to extend runway between funding rounds without excessive equity dilution. By year-end 2022, over half of SVB's deposits originated from venture capital-backed companies, underscoring its deep integration into the startup ecosystem.^[1] SVB extended beyond lending to offer comprehensive support, including cash management, wealth management for entrepreneurs, and advisory services such as fundraising workshops and investor pitch preparation. Its employees mentored founding teams on business growth, while the bank's investments in venture capital funds provided insights into emerging trends and facilitated connections within the tech community. Approximately 50% of U.S. venture-backed technology startups banked with SVB, reflecting its role in financing innovation across sectors like biotech, fintech, and software. SVB also maintained a global presence, supporting tech hubs in Israel and Europe with localized expertise.^[35]^[92]^[93] Through initiatives like industry events, knowledge-sharing platforms, and ecosystem partnerships, SVB fostered a network that accelerated startup development and scalability. This holistic engagement contributed to the maturation of Silicon Valley's innovation landscape, where SVB's flexible solutions and industry knowledge helped companies navigate financial milestones over four decades.^[94]^[95]^[15]

Lessons for Banking Stability and Risk

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank highlighted the critical need for banks to implement robust interest rate risk management practices, particularly through hedging strategies and duration matching in securities portfolios. SVB's management failed to adequately assess or mitigate the interest rate risk in its rapidly expanding bond holdings, which were heavily concentrated in long-duration mortgage-backed securities and Treasuries with average maturities exceeding 10 years for much of its held-to-maturity portfolio.^[4] ^[96] When the Federal Reserve raised rates aggressively starting in March 2022, this exposure resulted in unrealized losses estimated at $15 billion by late 2022, eroding capital as the bank was forced to sell assets at a loss to meet liquidity demands.^[4] Effective risk management requires stress testing portfolios under severe rate shock scenarios, as SVB's models underestimated the impact of prolonged high rates and did not incorporate inflation dynamics, leading to an asset-liability mismatch that amplified vulnerabilities.^[97] ^[42] A second key lesson concerns the dangers of funding models reliant on uninsured deposits, which comprised over 90% of SVB's $175 billion in total deposits as of December 31, 2022, rendering the bank susceptible to rapid outflows during periods of stress.^[27] ^[98] These deposits, primarily from tech startups and venture capital firms, proved highly volatile, with $42 billion withdrawn in a single day on March 9, 2023, triggered by social media-fueled panic following the bank's announcement of asset sales and a capital raise.^[54] Banks must diversify funding sources beyond concentrated, flighty uninsured deposits—such as through core retail or operational accounts—and maintain adequate high-quality liquid assets to withstand run scenarios, as SVB's liquidity coverage ratio, while compliant on paper, failed under real-time stress due to inadequate contingency planning.^[98] ^[99] Governance failures at SVB underscored the importance of strong board oversight and a dedicated risk function to challenge business strategies amid rapid growth. The bank's board did not ensure comprehensive risk modeling for interest rate and liquidity exposures, lacking a chief risk officer with sufficient authority, and ignored internal warnings about portfolio concentrations as deposits surged 200% from 2020 to 2022.^[4] ^[85] This contributed to 31 unremedied supervisory findings by regulators, far exceeding peers, highlighting how unchecked optimism in a booming sector can erode prudent risk culture.^[100] Institutions should prioritize independent risk committees and scenario analyses that integrate correlated risks, such as sector downturns intertwined with macroeconomic shifts, to prevent similar lapses.^[101] For broader banking stability, the SVB episode revealed supervisory gaps in mid-sized institutions, where post-2018 regulatory tailoring reduced scrutiny, allowing risks to build without timely intervention despite evident deterioration in SVB's ratings from 2 to 4 on the supervisory scale by 2022.^[4] While not systemically important, SVB's failure demonstrated contagion risks from uninsured deposit runs in a digitized environment, prompting temporary measures like the FDIC's blanket coverage of deposits to avert wider panic.^[98] Regulators and banks should enhance tail-risk monitoring, including digital propagation of runs, and revisit frameworks like Basel III liquidity rules to better capture uninsured funding dependencies, ensuring stability without over-reliance on ad-hoc bailouts that may moralize hazard.^[102] ^[103]

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[96]
Fueling growth: How SVB helps startups reach their financial ...
For over 40 years, SVB's industry knowledge, ecosystem connections and flexible solutions have helped startups at every stage of growth.Missing: contributions | Show results with:contributions
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Silicon Valley Bank's VC Arm: Creditor Takeover or New Beginnings?
SVB actively engages with the startup community through various initiatives, including mentorship programs, industry events, and knowledge-sharing platforms.
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[PDF] Lessons from SVB's Sudden Failure - Dallas Fed
Jul 18, 2024 · Exceptionally high interest rate risk. ▫ SVB invests ~95% of its HTM and > 25% of its AFS portfolios in bonds with maturity of > 10 years.<|separator|>
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Risk Management Lessons Learned From SVB
Mar 17, 2023 · The SVB failure looks like a classic asset-liability mismatch of short-term deposits with long-term assets.
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Lessons Learned from the U.S. Regional Bank Failures of 2023 - FDIC
May 17, 2024 · It is worth noting that, although Silicon Valley Bank's failure was caused by a liquidity run, the loss of market confidence that ...
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Liquidity Risk (Mis)Management: The Failure of Silicon Valley Bank ...
Oct 12, 2023 · Former Golub Senior Fellow, Laura Kodres, discusses the similarities between what happened with British pension funds in autumn 2022 and SVB in a new article.
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FRB, FDIC Deliver Reports and Take Some Blame on Silicon Valley ...
May 1, 2023 · The FRB report covered Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), which was placed into FDIC receivership on 10 March, and the FDIC report covered Signature Bank (Signature).
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Correlations among risks: Lessons from the Silicon Valley Bank ...
Jul 10, 2023 · The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in 2023 highlighted the intertwined nature of multiple risk factors. This column outlines measures to correct some of the ...
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We're still learning from Silicon Valley Bank's failure | Stanford ...
Feb 25, 2025 · Here, Krishnamurthy and DeMarzo talk about lessons from Silicon Valley Bank's implosion and how their research informs banking stability today.
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[PDF] Lessons from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank
Apr 14, 2023 · Ultimately, SVB demonstrates the di culty of ensuring nancial stability by controlling risk.