The mobile phone icon for the Coinbase app is shown in this photo, in New York, Tuesday, April 13, 2021. The Securities and Exchange Commission is charging Coinbase with operating its crypto asset trading platform as an unregistered national securities exchange, broker, and clearing agency. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
By Michelle Chapman
Coinbase has been targeted by U.S. regulators in a new lawsuit Tuesday that alleges the cryptocurrency platform is operating as an unregistered securities platform and brokerage service.
The lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission comes only a day after it filed charges against Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, and its founder Changpeng Zhao are accused of misusing investor funds, operating as an unregistered exchange and violating a slew of U.S. securities laws.
Coinbase shares plunged nearly 15% early Tuesday.
In its complaint, the SEC said Coinbase made billions acting as the middle man for cryptocurrency buyers and sellers but did not give investors lawful protections while acting as a broker.
“Coinbase has for years defied the regulatory structures and evaded the disclosure requirements that Congress and the SEC have constructed for the protection of the national securities markets and investors,” the SEC said in its complaint, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. It seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus interest, penalties, and other equitable relief.
Coinbase said the SEC has not been transparent in how it regulates cryptocurrencies.
“The SEC’s reliance on an enforcement-only approach in the absence of clear rules for the digital asset industry is hurting America’s economic competitiveness and companies like Coinbase that have a demonstrated commitment to compliance," said Paul Grewal, chief legal officer and general counsel for Coinbase, said in a written statement. The solution is legislation that allows fair rules for the road to be developed transparently and applied equally, not litigation. In the meantime, we’ll continue to operate our business as usual.”
The SEC had warned Coinbase in March that it could face securities charges and had long signaled that Coinbase had been flouting securities laws with its position that cryptocurrencies were not securities and therefore did not need to register as a broker.
“You simply can’t ignore the rules because you don’t like them or because you’d prefer different ones: the consequences for the investing public are far too great,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, in a prepared statement.
President Joe Biden introduced the Global Methane Pledge on the second day of the United Nations climate summit. The U.S. and the European Union will lead the way when it comes to methane emissions reductions, and close to 100 nations have also signed on. It's seen as the fastest way to slow down global warming and keep nations on track toward meeting the goal of keeping warming just 1.5 degrees Celsius above late 1800s atmospheric levels. Dr. Sweta Chakraborty, U.S. President of climate-focused startup 'We Don't Have Time' joins Cheddar Climate to discuss the importance of the Biden administration's methane regulations -- and the importance of U.S. leadership when it comes to climate issues.
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Everyone is stepping into the NFT space, including the Grammys. 'Oneof' is entering a three-year partnership with The Recording Academy to release exclusive NFTs commemorating the 64th, 65th, and 66th Annual Grammy Awards. A portion of the proceeds will also go to The Recording Academy's scholarship fund. Adam Fell, co-founder and board member of Oneof and the president of Quincy Jones Productions, joins Cheddar News to discuss the announcement.
'THEMAGIC5' produces swimming goggles that contour the face using advanced robot technologies and 3D printing. Both of the company's founders Bo Haaber and Rasmus Barfred went on ABC's 'Shark Tank' and caught a $1 million deal. The duo join Cheddar News to talk about what the new funding means for the company.
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Rebecca Walser, President of Walser Wealth Management, joins Cheddar News to dissect how an investor can optimize their investments by embracing technical analysis.
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Georges Archibald, Head of Apex Americas at Apex Group joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
JetBlue Travel Products is launching flight and cruise packages, making JetBlue the first domestic U.S. airline to offer customers the ability to book their flight, cruise and hotel all in one place. The new cruise packages with Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line offer customers a chance to save time and money by bundling their travel purchases, with all parts of their journey backed by JetBlue’s signature service. Andres Barry, president of JTP, joined Cheddar to discuss these new offerings and how it will help establish the airline as a broader travel company.
Amazon plans to launch its first prototype satellites for Project Kuiper, an internet-from-space venture, in 2022. It's the first major step in the e-commerce giant's plan to rival SpaceX by building a network of satellites in space, providing internet to rural, underserved communities around the world. Loren Grush, senior science reporter for the Verge, discusses the project and how it could transform internet access moving forward.
