COINBASE
Based in California, Coinbase is a digital currency exchange where merchants and consumers can transact with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, ethereum, and litecoin. Since the establishment in 2012, Coinbase has over 30m users with the transaction value exceeding $150m.
Former Coinbase Employee Sentenced
Ishan Wahi, former product manager at Coinbase, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for insider trading. Wahi used confidential information from Coinbase to profit off new token listings, totaling up to $1.5 million.
Coinbase Legal Chief Requests Revisions to SEC Rulemaking
Coinbase's legal chief has urged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to revise its proposed rulemaking on registered investment advisers' responsibilities to store client assets with qualified custodians. Coinbase has criticized the SEC's proposed custody rule, claiming that it unfairly targets crypto assets and fails to safeguard them properly.
Coinbase vs SEC: Legal Battle Heats Up
The US Court of Appeals has ordered the SEC to respond to Coinbase’s writ of mandamus within 10 days. The largest US cryptocurrency exchange filed a lawsuit in April requesting regulatory clarity, but has faced increased enforcement and warnings from the SEC, leading to a downgraded rating by Citigroup.
Coinbase executive discovers ChatGPT jailbreak
Coinbase executive Conor Grogan claims to have found a “jailbreak” for AI tool ChatGPT, allowing it to calculate the probability of strange crypto price scenarios. ChatGPT gave a 15% chance that Bitcoin will fall to irrelevancy by 2035, and a 20% chance of the same for Ether.
Kraken Fights IRS Over Customer Information
Kraken is contesting the United States Internal Revenue Service's demand for critical exchange user information, citing it as an "unjustified treasure hunt." Kraken has requested federal court intervention, pointing out that the IRS has gone "far beyond" its intrusive summons. The fight against IRS is Kraken's response to the agency's February summons, which demanded additional user information to identify Kraken accounts that did at least $20,000 of cryptocurrency trading in any single year between 2016 and 2020.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong hints at Lightning integration
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong has hinted that the cryptocurrency exchange may integrate Lightning, a layer 2 scaling solution for Bitcoin. Armstrong did not provide any further details on the potential integration, which would make Coinbase one of the largest trading platforms to adopt the technology.
Coinbase Identifies Four Key Innovations for its Layer-2 Network
Coinbase has identified four crucial innovations, including inflation-pegged "flatcoins," to be built on its recently launched layer-2 network Base. The other three areas are an on-chain reputation system, an on-chain limit order book exchange, and safer tools for DeFi.
Coinbase warns of losing crypto industry leadership
The U.S. SEC has issued a Wells notice to Coinbase. As a result, Coinbase warns that the U.S. government’s regulatory approach to crypto has created an uncertain and unstable environment. Meanwhile, other countries, such as France, the U.K., and the European Union, are building friendlier crypto regulation ecosystems and becoming crypto hubs, causing the U.S. to lose its status as the leading hub of the crypto sector.
ARK Invest Buys Coinbase Shares Despite Wells Notice
Investment management firm ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, has resumed buying shares of Coinbase, purchasing 268,928 shares worth $17.88 million through its ARKK Innovation and ARKW Next Generation Internet exchange-traded funds on March 23. This came just a day after Coinbase's stock price fell by 21% due to news of the company receiving a Wells notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Coinbase CEO Compares SEC to Soccer Refs in Criticism of Lack of Clarity Around Crypto Regulation
Coinbase CEO, Brian Armstrong, compared the SEC to “soccer refs” in a game of pickleball, criticizing the regulator for their lack of clarity around crypto regulation. The comments came after Coinbase revealed they had been issued a Wells notice, which typically precedes an enforcement action. The crypto community has widely condemned the recent notice, with many agreeing that the SEC has reversed its earlier position regarding Coinbase.
ARK Invest Sells Portion of Coinbase Shares
Investment firm ARK Invest has sold a portion of its Coinbase shares in 2023, accounting for 23% of its March acquisitions and 9% of all shares bought this year. The remaining 1.6 million shares are valued at over $132 million. Coinbase stock has risen to multi-month highs alongside Bitcoin, which hit nine-month highs above $28,000 on March 22.
Coinbase Petitions SEC on Staking
Coinbase has submitted a "Petition for Rulemaking" to the SEC, arguing that staking should not be classified as securities. The petition argues that staking is not a monolithic concept, and core staking services do not meet the criteria of the Howey test. Coinbase cites historical precedents and urges regulators to consider the economic consequences of their actions.
Coinbase NFT launches new creator hub
Coinbase NFT has launched a new "Creator Hub" that provides a slew of tools for NFT creators to launch and market a collection.
Coinbase warns of delays for ETH unstaking after Ethereum Merge
Coinbase users may face delays in unstaking their ETH after Ethereum's Shapella upgrade, due to on-chain processing. Coinbase advises users to be patient and offers a liquid staking option, "cbETH."
Crypto Firms Report Funds Tied Up with Shuttered Signature Bank
Crypto firms including Coinbase, Paxos, and Celsius have reported funds tied up with Signature Bank, which was shut down by New York regulators due to concerns about systemic risk. While some firms expect to recover their funds in full, others have disclosed only that they had exposure to the bank. Other firms in the crypto industry have reassured customers that they had no exposure to Signature Bank.