Coinbase rides the wave of U.S. regulation: VIP treatment at the White House summit, tokenized stocks, expansion, and merger rumors

Author: Weilin, PANews

Under the adjustment of the cryptocurrency regulatory policy by the Trump administration, the landscape of the U.S. cryptocurrency market is undergoing significant changes, and Coinbase, as a leading domestic exchange in the U.S., is facing a series of new developments.

From the easing of the regulatory environment to the expansion of company operations, Coinbase has been active recently. In February, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) withdrew its lawsuit against the company, marking a phase of the end of strict enforcement by U.S. regulators in the cryptocurrency market. At the White House Digital Assets Summit, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong enjoyed "VIP" treatment, further highlighting the company's lobbying influence in Washington.

Meanwhile, Coinbase plans to hire about 1,000 employees in the U.S. by 2025 and restart its COIN stock tokenization plan. There are also rumors that the company may be facing mergers and acquisitions, becoming a potential target for traditional exchanges.

White House Summit: Coinbase CEO Enjoys "VIP" Treatment, Plans to Hire 1,000 in the U.S.

The first White House Digital Assets Summit after Trump's re-election has become the focus of attention in the cryptocurrency industry, and Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong is undoubtedly one of the most prominent executives at the summit. As a representative of cryptocurrency exchanges, Armstrong sat in the fourth position from Trump's left, showcasing his influence among the attendees.

The day before the summit, Trump signed an executive order announcing the establishment of a strategic Bitcoin reserve and digital asset reserve. Armstrong later stated in a media interview that he is "absolutely" willing to serve as the government's custodian of cryptocurrency assets in the context of national reserves, adding that the company has already collaborated with several government departments on cryptocurrency asset custody and trading.

Coinbase's performance is also impressive. The total revenue for 2024 is expected to more than double, reaching $6.564 billion, with a net income of $2.6 billion. In the fourth quarter, revenue was $2.27 billion, an 88% increase quarter-over-quarter.

After the White House summit, Armstrong tweeted that the summit was a historic day, with the U.S. now having a strategic Bitcoin reserve and emerging regulatory clarity. This directly translates into economic growth for the U.S. Given this new growth, Coinbase plans to hire about 1,000 employees in the U.S. this year and will continue to build in the U.S. to ensure that the country maintains its leading position in technology and finance. As of 2024, Coinbase has 3,772 employees, and this expansion is expected to further solidify its market position.

SEC Withdraws Lawsuit Against Coinbase, Major Regulatory Hurdle Removed

Although Coinbase successfully went public on NASDAQ in 2021, its development has faced regulatory hurdles from the SEC over the past few years. On March 22, 2023, Coinbase received a Wells notice from the SEC, indicating that the SEC planned to take enforcement action against Coinbase's staking products. Coinbase subsequently responded that the investigation was "hasty" and stated that it would continue normal operations. The following month, Coinbase sued the SEC, requesting a federal court to compel the SEC to respond to Coinbase's petition from the previous year, which sought clarity on cryptocurrency-related regulations.

In June 2023, the SEC announced a lawsuit against Coinbase, accusing it of acting as an unregistered broker, exchange, and clearing agency since 2019, and sought to "permanently ban" Coinbase from related operations. Additionally, the SEC accused Coinbase of failing to register its staking services as required by U.S. securities laws.

However, after the Trump administration took office, there were personnel changes at the SEC. In February 2025, the SEC withdrew its lawsuit against Coinbase, ending the legal dispute between the two parties and removing many obstacles to Coinbase's future business development.

Coinbase Restarts COIN Stock Tokenization Plan, Adjusts Listing Mechanism

The changes in the U.S. regulatory environment have brought new market opportunities for Coinbase. On March 6, market news reported that Coinbase is re-pushing the tokenization of its COIN stock as part of a broader effort to introduce security tokens to the U.S. market. The company had initially attempted this initiative in 2020 but abandoned it due to regulatory hurdles. With the establishment of the SEC's newly formed cryptocurrency task force, the company sees new opportunities to integrate blockchain-based securities into traditional finance. Coinbase CFO Alesia Haas expressed optimism about regulatory progress at the Morgan Stanley TMT conference.

Haas stated, "I now believe that our U.S. regulators are seeking product innovation and want to move forward." She revealed that Coinbase initially planned to list by issuing security tokens representing its COIN stock, aligning with its vision of integrating blockchain into traditional finance. Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong emphasized the potential benefits of tokenized securities, stating that they could provide consumers with the ability to trade around the clock.

On March 10, according to an official announcement from Backed, the tokenized version of Coinbase stock $COIN, $wbCOIN, has launched on the Base network. This token is 1:1 backed by $COIN stock, is freely transferable, and has a legal claim to the value of $COIN stock. However, Backed emphasized that it is not affiliated with Coinbase and is only interested in the stock.

Meanwhile, Coinbase is adjusting its listing mechanism to adapt to the rapidly changing cryptocurrency market. CEO Brian Armstrong has proposed switching to a "blacklist" model, allowing users and automated scanning tools to filter out scam projects instead of pre-approving tokens.

Armstrong stated that due to the overwhelming number of new tokens—nearly a million each week—Coinbase's manual review process is no longer sustainable. "Evaluating each one has become impractical," he wrote, adding that even regulators cannot keep up with the growth of new assets. This mechanism is essentially similar to Twitter's "Community Notes" system but applied to the cryptocurrency industry.

Acquisition Rumors: Coinbase May Become a Target for Top Exchanges

In addition to business expansion and regulatory breakthroughs, Coinbase is also viewed by the market as a potential acquisition target. On March 8, Barrons reported that Coinbase has met the conditions to become an acquisition target, and if it merges with a traditional exchange, it could create a company that possesses both expertise and industry influence, thereby dominating the currently fragmented cryptocurrency market. Currently, Coinbase's price-to-earnings ratio is about 22 times, with a total market value of approximately $52 billion; however, large U.S. exchanges have the capability to make this deal happen.

The parent company of the New York Stock Exchange—Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)—has a market value of $100 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 36 times, and its CEO Jeffrey Sprecher's wife, Kelly Loeffler, is a member of the Trump administration's cabinet. The global futures trading giant CME Group has a market value of $93 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 26 times. The NASDAQ exchange is known for its technological strength and global network, with a market value of $47 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 41 times. If Coinbase can collaborate with major U.S. exchanges, it will open doors to power and markets that may currently be out of reach. Large investors may push for a top exchange to acquire Coinbase, allowing the new company to maximize investment returns as cryptocurrency gradually transitions from the financial frontier to the mainstream.

It now appears that with the adjustment of the Trump administration's cryptocurrency policy, the regulatory environment in the cryptocurrency industry has undergone a dramatic change, and Coinbase is a direct beneficiary of this shift. The White House summit, the withdrawal of the SEC lawsuit, the restart of the tokenized stock plan, and potential acquisition rumors all indicate that this leading global cryptocurrency exchange may enter a new phase of growth, opening up possibilities for future development.