Coinbase shares experienced a significant dip of about 16% during pre-market trading on Tuesday in New York, following the news that the SEC has charged the exchange for allegedly violating securities laws. This comes just one day after Coinbase shares experienced a 9% drop on Monday during regular trading hours, following the news that rival exchange Binance had been sued by the securities regulator.
COIN, which has dropped more than 80% since its direct listing in April 2021, has managed an impressive rebound since the start of the year, rallying around 75% year-to-date. However, Tuesday’s news sent shares below the $60 level analysts have been monitoring closely. As of Monday, analysts surveyed by MarketBeat have given Coinbase a hold rating.
The SEC names Coinbase and its holding company CGI as defendants in the lawsuit. The regulator alleges that the defendants broke securities laws by operating the exchange and brokerage without proper registration. According to court documents released on Tuesday, “Since at least 2019, through the Coinbase Platform, Coinbase has operated as: an unregistered broker, including by soliciting potential investors, handling customer funds and assets, and charging transaction-based fees; an unregistered exchange.”
In addition, the SEC claims that at least 13 tokens listed on Coinbase are securities. In a similar complaint against Binance, the agency listed 10 tokens as “crypto asset securities.” Both lawsuits list Solana’s SOL token and Cardano’s ADA as securities.
While these lawsuits may bring about increased regulation and scrutiny in the crypto market, such events also present opportunities for industry leaders, policymakers, and institutional experts to come together and discuss the latest developments and challenges in the ever-evolving world of cryptocurrency. For instance, the Digital Asset Summit in March 2024 will take place in Washington, D.C., where participants will engage in valuable discourse surrounding these issues.
As the crypto market navigates the complex regulatory landscape, one can’t help but wonder about the role of stablecoins in the economy. The Australian central bank, for example, is actively engaging in research and has yet to make a decision on a CBDC, despite the possibility of stablecoins playing a “more prominent” role in the economy in the future.
While regulatory storms may loom over exchanges like Coinbase and Binance, they present opportunities for growth and development in the dynamic crypto market. It remains to be seen how these lawsuits will impact the industry long-term, but one thing is certain: the journey ahead is sure to be fascinating.
Source: Blockworks
