According to the source, newly released U.S. Department of Justice files indicate Jeffrey Epstein made an early investment in Coinbase in 2014 and that co-founder Fred Ehrsam was aware and supportive of the investment. Source: U.S. Department of Justice. The disclosure links a convicted sex offender to Coinbase’s early cap table, a reputational issue that Coinbase warns can materially affect its business in its risk factors, and the company trades publicly under ticker COIN. Sources: U.S. Department of Justice; Coinbase Form 10-K; Nasdaq. For traders, governance and reputational events disclosed in legal records are commonly monitored when reassessing risk in equities like COIN and crypto-exchange exposures. Sources: Karpoff, Lee, and Martin, Journal of Financial Economics; U.S. Department of Justice.