Coinbase to face lawsuit over unregistered securities sales, judge rules

Key Points

  • A US federal judge has ruled that Coinbase must face a lawsuit over unregistered securities sales.
  • The lawsuit claims Coinbase sold 79 cryptocurrencies as securities without proper registration.
  • Coinbase argues that it does not list, offer, or sell securities on its platform.
  • The company is also involved in a separate lawsuit with the SEC since June 2023.

Summary

A US federal judge has ruled against Coinbase, compelling the cryptocurrency exchange to face a lawsuit in New York over allegations of selling unregistered securities. The lawsuit, which was initially dismissed but later revived by the Circuit Court of Appeals, accuses Coinbase of selling 79 cryptocurrencies as securities without the necessary registration as a broker-dealer. Despite Coinbase's assertion that it does not deal in securities, Judge Paul Engelmayer's decision suggests that transactions on Coinbase involve the exchange itself as a seller. This ruling comes amidst another ongoing legal battle with the SEC, where Coinbase is accused of operating an unregistered securities platform. Coinbase has also taken legal action against the SEC and the FDIC for allegedly obstructing digital-asset firms' access to banking services. The company remains a significant player in the US crypto market, being the largest exchange by trading volume and a major custodian for Bitcoin ETFs.

cointelegraph
February 7, 2025
Crypto
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