The remaining “10%” of issues center mainly on DeFi, which Brian Armstrong says lawmakers are addressing carefully to preserve innovation. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong says he’s optimistic that US senators are moving closer to advancing key cryptocurrency market structure legislation by Thanksgiving, suggesting that there’s now far more agreement on both sides of the aisle than there are differences. “Even though the government is shut down, the Senate is working hard on getting market structure legislation passed for crypto,” Armstrong said in a video posted on X. According to Armstrong, roughly 90% of the legislative framework has already been agreed upon, with the remaining 10% focused on issues like decentralized finance (DeFi). He added that policymakers are looking for ways to protect innovation while ensuring that “centralized intermediaries, like Coinbase, should be regulated — not the protocols.” Read more
Echo, a crowdfunding platform whose first fundraising project was Ethena, has been acquired by Coinbase after operating for less than two years. Major US cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has acquired Echo, a platform that allows communities to raise capital targeting early-stage projects and startups. Coinbase struck a $375 million deal to acquire Echo, a crowdfunding platform founded by crypto trader Jordan Fish, known in the community as Cobie, the company announced on Tuesday. The acquisition came the day after Coinbase sent $25 million in USDC (USDC) to Cobie’s wallet to acquire and burn a non-fungible token (NFT) and revive his UpOnly podcast. Read more
This marks the second major Amazon AWS outage since April, when “connectivity issues” created usability problems for at least eight large crypto exchanges. Update Oct. 20, 1:15 p.m. UTC: This article has been updated to include comments from Dr. Max Li, founder and CEO of OORT. Coinbase and Robinhood were among several major platforms distressed by an Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center outage on Monday, underscoring the risks of relying on centralized cloud providers for critical financial infrastructure. Coinbase, the third-largest centralized cryptocurrency exchange (CEX) by trading volume, was hit by an AWS data center outage, which reported “increased error rates and latencies” for multiple AWS Services in the Northern Virginia region. Read more
Coinbase added a Binance token to a list of planned additions to the exchange amid an online discourse that included one of its own employees and other industry leaders. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has added Binance’s BNB token to its roadmap for listings amid a series of online exchanges discussing the process. On Tuesday, Limitless Labs CEO CJ Hetherington posted to X, contrasting what he claimed were the requirements for a token to be listed on Binance rather than Coinbase. According to the CEO, Binance’s requirements included a security deposit of 2 million BNB (BNB) for a spot listing, while Coinbase’s were limited to “build[ing] something meaningful on Base.” The online exchange sparked debate, which only seemed to intensify when Coinbase’s head of Base, Jesse Pollak, chimed in to say “it should cost 0% to be listed on an exchange.” Read more
Coinbase has launched crypto staking in New York, allowing residents to earn rewards on assets such as ETH and SOL following state regulatory approval. Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase said New York residents are now able to stake their assets following approval from state regulators. In a Wednesday blog post, Coinbase said its users could begin earning rewards from staking in Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), and other assets. The company credited New York Governor Kathy Hochul for “embracing progress and providing clarity” leading to the approval, with plans to continue expanding staking services across the US. “This is a big win for New Yorkers, and a step toward ensuring every American has equal access to the future of finance,” said Coinbase. “But our work is not done. We estimate that residents in California, New Jersey, Maryland, and Wisconsin have collectively missed out on more than $130 million in staking rewards due to state-wide bans.” Read more
Crypto exchange Coinbase is pursuing a National Trust Company Charter in the US, but said it has "no intention of becoming a bank." Crypto exchange Coinbase has applied for a National Trust Company Charter with the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), joining a growing number of US-based crypto companies pursuing the same license. “Coinbase is taking a significant step in expanding our business capabilities and regulatory oversight beyond the existing framework, paving the way for innovation and growth in building a modern financial system powered by digital assets,” Coinbase said in a statement on Friday. According to Coinbase, pursuing the license is part of its strategy “to bridge the gap between the crypto economy and traditional financial system.” However, it has no interest in changing the core focus of its operations: Read more
Samsung Wallet and Coinbase aim to provide easier access to cryptocurrency for 75 million US Galaxy users, with a global rollout planned for the future. Consumer electronics giant Samsung has expanded its partnership with cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, allowing its Galaxy smartphone users to buy crypto directly through its native Samsung Wallet. In the first phase, about 75 million Galaxy users in the United States will gain access to Coinbase One, a subscription service that offers zero trading fees, higher staking rewards and account protection for lost funds due to unauthorized access, Coinbase announced Friday. “Together with Samsung, we’re pairing their global scale with Coinbase’s trusted platform to deliver the best value for people to access crypto — starting with more than 75 million Galaxy users across the U.S., and soon around the world,” said Shan Aggarwal, chief business officer at Coinbase. Read more