Crypto Clash: Coinbase's Loan Termination Amid Regulatory War With The SEC

A U.S. court has ordered the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to address Coinbase Global Inc's COIN concerns over applying securities laws to digital assets.

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals mandated a 10-day window for the SEC to respond, with Coinbase having seven days to submit a counter-response.

The crypto exchange has recently argued that the SEC has not provided adequate regulatory guidance for U.S. companies in the crypto sector and has referred to a 2022 petition requesting formal rulemaking that the SEC has yet to address.

Coinciding with this legal development, Coinbase has announced the discontinuation of its Borrow program starting May 10, 2023.

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The program allowed users to secure loans using Bitcoin BTC/USD as collateral.

A Coinbase spokesperson cited a lack of demand for the product as the reason for its termination, according to The Block.

The Borrow program was unveiled in August 2020 and launched publicly in November 2021, enabling users to borrow up to $1 million at a variable annual percentage rate (APR) of 8.7%.

This termination follows the SEC's Wells notice sent to Coinbase in March regarding possible violations of securities laws.

In response, Coinbase sued the SEC to force the agency to address the company's petition for specific rules on digital assets.

Previously, in September 2021, Coinbase had to abandon its Lend program after an SEC warning.

Despite ongoing regulatory tensions in the U.S., Coinbase recently expanded internationally by launching a derivatives exchange in Bermuda, offering users perpetual futures trading with 5x leverage.

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