If approved by the US regulator, the investment offering could have Coinbase competing against other stock trading platforms. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase is reportedly looking for the green light from US financial regulators to offer tokenized stock trading to its users. According to a Tuesday Reuters report, Coinbase's chief legal officer, Paul Grewal, said the company was seeking Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approval to offer “tokenized equities,” potentially competing with other trading platforms like Robinhood. Grewal reportedly said the plan was a “huge priority” for Coinbase. As of June, tokenized equities such as stocks are not available for trading in the US. However, US-based digital assets companies have been able to offer similar services to non-residents through partnerships. Crypto exchange Kraken announced a plan to launch tokenized US stock trading in May. Read more
US President Donald Trump promoted a 250th anniversary celebration of the Army that coincided with his birthday, leading to a sharp divide in how many Americans spent June 14. Update (June 16 at 10:13 pm UTC): This article has been updated to include more information on Coinbase’s financial contribution. Coinbase is facing backlash from crypto users after sponsoring the 250th anniversary celebration of the US Army in Washington, D.C. In a June 16 X post, Adam Cochran, a partner at venture capital firm Cinneamhain Venture, said he would be exiting his positions at Coinbase — stocks, bonds, and moving crypto assets — following the exchange’s sponsorship of the military parade. Read more
Gemini is set to receive approval from Malta, while Coinbase is expected to get the green light from Luxembourg, according to Reuters. Crypto exchanges Gemini and Coinbase are reportedly set to secure licenses to operate in the European Union, marking a significant step in their expansion under the newly implemented Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulations. Gemini is on track to receive approval from Malta, while Coinbase is expected to obtain its license through Luxembourg, Reuters reported Monday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. A Coinbase spokesperson declined to comment on the specific application but told Reuters that Luxembourg is a “well-respected global financial center.” Read more
David Plouffe previously worked as an adviser for Alchemy Pay, Binance, former President Barack Obama's and former Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaigns. David Plouffe, who worked as an adviser on former US Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, will be joining Coinbase’s Global Advisory Council. In a Thursday notice, Coinbase said Plouffe would join former lawmakers, industry leaders, and others on the company’s advisory council, seemingly to advise the exchange on policies moving forward in the US and abroad, as well as its role in future elections. The appointment of Plouffe to the council marked one of his first roles in crypto and policy since leaving Harris’ campaign. “It’s important to understand that someone who holds crypto or stablecoin, that might not be the most important issue to them voting,” Plouffe said at Coinbase’s State of Crypto Summit, adding: Read more
The US president has spoken in person at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville and released a video message for the Digital Asset Summit in New York City. US President Donald Trump released a prerecorded message for attendees of Coinbase’s State of Crypto Summit as Congress considers legislation to regulate payment stablecoins and establish a digital asset market structure framework. In his second message directly addressing a crypto conference since becoming president in January, Trump said he was “not done” implementing crypto policies in the US government. These, according to the president, have included efforts through executive orders to establish a national Bitcoin (BTC) reserve, creating a working group on digital assets and nominating Paul Atkins to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). “My administration is working with Congress to pass the GENIUS Act supporting the creation of dollar-backed stablecoins, and we also will be working to create clear and simple market frameworks that wi...
A Coinbase insider scandal exposed 70,000 users’ personal data, triggering debates on rethinking crypto’s KYC systems. Coinbase’s recent data breach is prompting renewed calls to remove Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements in licensed cryptocurrency exchanges. Illicit actors bribed the exchange’s overseas customer service agents in December 2024 to gain access to the personal information of 70,000 users. In May, Coinbase admitted that hackers had obtained data such as government-issued ID photos and home addresses. “All this security theater needs to be abolished asap. Time and again it only benefits hackers and extortionists,” said pseudonymous developer Banteg on X. “KYC actually enables crime.” Read more
US government argues Coinbase user James Harper has no right to block IRS access to his crypto records in Supreme Court filing. The US government has urged the Supreme Court not to take up a Coinbase user’s challenge against the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) effort to obtain his crypto transaction records. In a filing dated May 30, Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that Coinbase user James Harper has no Fourth Amendment right to shield his financial records held by the exchange. The government claimed that Harper “voluntarily” shared his data with Coinbase, and that the IRS followed proper legal procedures to obtain it through a judicially approved summons. Read more