Coinbase’s $100M Settlement With NY Regulator Pumps Stock 7%

After losing nearly 90% in 2022, Coinbase shares have steadily inched back into the green so far in 2023

article-image

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong | Blockworks exclusive art by Axel Rangel modified by Blockworks

share

Coinbase stock climbed 7% Wednesday morning following news that the exchange has agreed to settle for $100 million with New York regulators in response to anti-money laundering and compliance violations. 

The New York State Department of Financial Services found that Coinbase had violated anti-money laundering laws by allowing customers to open accounts without complete background checks, resulting in a $50 million fine. The exchange is also required to invest an additional $50 million over two years to address “serious deficiencies” in its compliance practices, the filing stated. 

After losing nearly 90% in 2022, Coinbase stock has steadily inched back into the green so far in 2023. COIN was trading more than 6% higher Wednesday at 10:30 am ET. 

The regulator alleged that Coinbase’s insufficient background checks “resulted in suspicious or unlawful conduct being facilitated through Coinbase’s platform,” the filing said. The department found that a charged criminal and an individual using a false identity were able to create Coinbase accounts and potentially use the exchange’s services to conduct illicit activities. 

“Coinbase has taken substantial measures to address these historical shortcomings and remains committed to being a leader and role model in the crypto space, including partnering with regulators when it comes to compliance,” Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s chief legal officer, told Blockworks via email. “We believe our investment in compliance outpaces every other crypto exchange anywhere in the world, and that our customers can feel safe and protected while using our platforms.” 

The department noted that in both instances, Coinbase was cooperative with investigators and took appropriate action to recover the funds or close the accounts. Even so, the exchange’s existing system for detecting this type of activity is no longer sufficient, the regulator said. 

“Coinbase’s business and customer base have grown exponentially since it was licensed by the Department, but Coinbase was unable to keep pace with the growth in the volume of alerts generated by its [transaction monitoring systems],” the filing said. 

Since its public market debut in 2021, Coinbase has faced a variety of regulatory hurdles, sinking shares more than 90%. In September 2021, the US Securities and Exchange Commission effectively shut down Coinbase’s lending program, Coinbase Lend, by declaring such products unregistered security offerings.

In July 2022, COIN plunged 14% after the SEC classified nine tokens listed on Coinbase as securities in a civil complaint. The agency later subpoenaed the exchange to investigate how it classifies tokens. 

As the exchange continues to battle regulators over how cryptocurrencies are classified, executives have doubled down on promises that Coinbase will diversify its revenue streams and thrive even as a selloff in crypto markets sinks trading. 

“One thing we’re doing is shifting more of our revenue over time, away from trading fees to what we call subscription and services,” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said in a CNBC interview in 2022, adding that those services grew to around an 18% share of the exchange’s total revenue.


Don’t miss the next big story – join our free daily newsletter.

Tags

Upcoming Events

HYATT REGENCY SALT LAKE CITY

TUES, OCT. 8, 2024

Guided by the expertise of Blockworks Research Analysts team, this one day event will feature senior leaders, entrepreneurs, and developers from across the crypto industry. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an immersive experience to explore the latest trends, […]

Salt Lake City, UT

WED - FRI, OCTOBER 9 - 11, 2024

Pack your bags, anon — we’re heading west! Join us in the beautiful Salt Lake City for the third installment of Permissionless. Come for the alpha, stay for the fresh air. Permissionless III promises unforgettable panels, killer networking opportunities, and mountains […]

recent research

avaxcover.png

Research

The Avalanche Network is well on its way to becoming the best platform to build high-performance blockchains that can seamlessly interact with each other, and the strong focus on performant and scalable blockchains will likely be Avalanche’s competitive advantage.

article-image

Assets under management in global crypto ETPs broke the $100 billion mark for the first time amid BTC price increases and persistent inflows

article-image

Bitcoin and ether stay flat post-selloff as SOL fans brace for a new all-time high

article-image

For the first time ever, Bitcoin’s halving comes right after a new all-time high

article-image

The company unveiled its research platform upgrades during the first day of Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit in London

article-image

With this launch, Blockworks Research consolidates hundreds of features into one subscription model

article-image

After the capital infusion led by Jump Crypto, Pantera Capital and Lightspeed Faction, Figure also seeks to offer a registered security alternative to stablecoins