SYDNEY, March 22 (Reuters) - Australia's prudential
regulator has started asking the country's banks to declare
their exposure to startups and crypto-focused ventures following
the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, according to the Australian
Financial Review (AFR).
The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) had
told banks to provide daily updates on their crypto assets as it
sought to gain more insight into vulnerabilities, the AFR
reported late on Tuesday, citing three unidentified sources.
The APRA declined to comment on the report but referred to
its statement last week that it would intensify supervision of
the local banking industry and seek more information on any
potential impact from Silicon Valley Bank's collapse.
ANZ Group Holdings declined to comment, while
Commonwealth Bank of Australia , Westpac Banking Corp and National Australia Bank did not
immediately respond to requests seeking comment.
The turmoil that gripped global banks over the past 10 days
was triggered by the collapse of midsized U.S. lenders Silicon
Valley Bank and Signature Bank, but quickly ensnared Credit
Suisse as investors fretted about a financial contagion.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers last week said Australia was in a
good position to withstand some of the market volatility because
the country's banks were well capitalised, well regulated and
had strong liquidity.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Jamie Freed)
