Diesen Artikel teilen

SEC Is Probing Coinbase Over User Number Misstatement Concern

The investigation began under former SEC Chair Gary Gensler and has continued under the current administration, according to the NYT, which first reported the story.

Von Cheyenne Ligon|Bearbeitet von Stephen Alpher
Aktualisiert 16. Mai 2025, 11:43 a.m. Veröffentlicht 15. Mai 2025, 6:09 p.m. Übersetzt von KI
Coinbase app on a mobile phone screen.
Coinbase confirms SEC probe (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

What to know:

  • Crypto exchange Coinbase has confirmed a NYT report that it is being probed by the SEC over concern it misstated user numbers several years ago.
  • Shares are lower by 6.6% on Thursday as this news combines with earlier disclosure of a data breach.

The SEC has been investigating crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN) over whether it misstated its user numbers in past securities filings and marketing materials.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Verpassen Sie keine weitere Geschichte.Abonnieren Sie noch heute den Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter. Alle Newsletter ansehen

The probe began under the former presidential administration while the SEC was still under the control of then-Chair Gary Gensler, according to the NYT, which first reported the story, but has persisted under the SEC’s current, crypto-friendly leadership.

The metric at the heart of the investigation is Coinbase’s claim to have over 100 million “verified users.” It stopped using the metric in both disclosure and marketing materials in 2021, the year it went public on the Nasdaq.

Paul Grewal, Coinbase’s chief legal officer, told CoinDesk in an emailed statement that the SEC’s investigation is a “hold-over investigation from the prior administration about a metric we stopped reporting two and a half years ago, which was fully disclosed to the public.”

“We explained that the verified users metric includes anyone who verified their email address or phone number with us, so it may overstate the number of unique customers," said Grewal "We also disclosed – and continue to disclose – the more relevant metric of ‘monthly transacting users’ – the number of people who use our platform in a given month."

“While we strongly believe this investigation should not continue, we remain committed to working with the SEC to bring this matter to a close,” Grewal added.

The SEC did not respond to CoinDesk’s request for comment by press time.

Already under pressure due to today's disclosure of a data breach, COIN shares dipped a bit further on this SEC news, now down 6.6% on the session.


Mehr für Sie

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

Was Sie wissen sollten:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

More For You

JPMorgan Pushes Deeper Into Tokenization With Galaxy's Debt Issuance on Solana

JPMorgan building (Shutterstock)

Galaxy’s onchain debt deal, where JP Morgan acted as arranger, was settled in USDC stablecoin and backed by Coinbase and Franklin Templeton.

What to know:

  • J.P. Morgan arranged Galaxy Digital’s commercial paper issuance on the Solana blockchain, one of the first of its kind in the U.S.
  • Coinbase and Franklin Templeton bought the short-term debt instrument, settled in USDC
  • Tokenization of real-world assets is gaining traction, with projections suggesting the market could reach $18.9 trillion by 2033.