Coinstar sold to repay outstanding bonds - Coinfea

Coinstar is being sold in a deal that will clear its debt at once. The coin-exchange and crypto kiosk operator, owned by Apollo Global Management, has agreed to a surprise sale that triggers a full bond repayment next month.

According to Bloomberg, people familiar with the matter alleged that the buyer is tied to Alaska Native investments from the far north of the state. The transaction has not been made public, but the buyer has been identified as Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, a company established in 1972 following a US government settlement with the Indigenous residents of Alaska.

Coinstar sold to Alaska native company amid debt repayment plans

As part of the takeover, the new owner will repay more than $750 million in principal, plus all accrued interest, in early January. The timeline was confirmed in a notice sent to bondholders, according to Bloomberg. The bonds involved in the Coinstar deal are structured as whole business securitizations, meaning the full cash flow of the exchange backs them.

Some analysts are also worried that the debt might need another overhaul if pressure on Coinstar’s business continues, but the planned repayment reportedly removes that risk. Arctic Slope Regional (ASRC) oversees a wide mix of portfolios that include construction, petroleum refining, and government contract services, based on information published by the company.

ASRC is one of roughly a dozen regional corporations formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, passed in the early 1970s, which granted millions of acres of land and $1 billion in compensation to Alaska Native groups in exchange for land claims. Coinstar entered Apollo’s portfolio in 2016, running over 24,000 kiosks that let users turn loose change into cash.

After the pandemic slowdown, Coinstar pushed deeper into digital assets. Last year, it began letting customers use cash to buy cryptocurrency through kiosks or a mobile app. The sale now hands control of Coinstar to an Alaska-based owner while closing the book on its bond debt.