Coinbase Presses SEC for Clearer Crypto Regulations in Court Clash

Coinbase has stepped up its campaign for more transparent cryptocurrency laws, and on September 23, it challenged the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a federal appeals court located in Philadelphia. The largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States has expressed loudly the need for an open and practical regulatory environment, calling on the SEC to solve the regulatory obstacles that U.S. crypto firms must overcome.

Coinbase’s dispute with the SEC revolves around what the exchange describes as “unworkable” crypto regulations. Last December, Coinbase filed a petition arguing that the current regulatory landscape is stifling for crypto businesses, a claim that the SEC has previously dismissed. During the recent court session, Coinbase’s attorney, Eugene Scalia, emphasized that the SEC has been uncooperative, stating that the agency has not provided clear guidelines on “how to register with the agency and comply with U.S. laws.”

In response, SEC attorney Ezekiel Hill argued that the SEC is not obligated to create new rules to accommodate Coinbase, especially if the company chooses “to arrange its business in a way that does not comply with the existing regulatory framework.” The judges acknowledged the SEC’s cautious stance on rulemaking but questioned why specific regulations for cryptocurrency had not been established.

Legal Battles Over Regulatory Compliance and Staking Programs

The tensions between Coinbase and the SEC have been ongoing. In 2022, the SEC filed a lawsuit against Coinbase, accusing the exchange of operating as an unregistered broker and claiming that its staking program and over 10 listed digital assets qualified as securities. The regulatory uncertainty has sparked numerous legal disputes, including a separate lawsuit filed by Coinbase against the SEC and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for failing to disclose requested information under the Freedom of Information Act.

Coinbase continues to challenge the SEC’s regulatory approach, arguing that the lack of clear rules prevents crypto companies from operating efficiently in the U.S. As the battle over regulatory clarity intensifies, the outcome of these legal proceedings could have significant implications for the future of the crypto industry in the U.S.