SEC v. Coinbase (Enforcement Action) event

Event · PageRank 0.0008

Also known as: SEC Coinbase case

Overview

On June 6, 2023 the SEC sued Coinbase, charging that it operated its trading platform as an unregistered national securities exchange, broker and clearing agency, and separately that it failed to register the offer and sale of its staking-as-a-service program. The complaint alleged that since at least 2019 Coinbase earned billions of dollars unlawfully facilitating trading in crypto asset securities, and named at least 13 tokens — including Solana's SOL and Cardano's ADA — as crypto asset securities. The SEC sought injunctive relief, disgorgement and civil penalties. Coinbase contested the case and moved to dismiss, arguing the assets fell outside the SEC's jurisdiction; the agency ultimately dismissed the suit with prejudice in February 2025.

Within the DeFi Intel graph, SEC v. Coinbase (Enforcement Action) connects to 1 tracked entity, most strongly to Coinbase.

Relations

Top connections in the DeFi Intel knowledge graph (confidence-weighted, 1 of 1 total).

Frequently asked questions

What did the SEC charge Coinbase with?

Operating as an unregistered national securities exchange, broker and clearing agency, and failing to register the offer and sale of its crypto staking-as-a-service program.

Which tokens did the SEC call securities in the case?

The complaint identified at least 13 crypto assets available on Coinbase as crypto asset securities, including Solana's SOL and Cardano's ADA.

How did the case end?

Coinbase fought the suit and moved to dismiss in August 2023. The SEC eventually moved to drop the case, and it was dismissed with prejudice in late February 2025.