Coinbase CEO Armstrong Says Not Shutting Down Staking Service

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Crypto exchange Coinbase (COIN) will continue operating its crypto staking service despite facing lawsuits from state and federal regulators over the program and several of its other offerings, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said Wednesday at the Bloomberg Invest Conference.

“We're not going to wind down our staking service,” Armstrong said. “Again, as these court cases play out, it's really business as usual.” He noted that the exchange’s staking service accounts for about 3% of overall net revenue.

His comments came after the SEC on Tuesday sued Coinbase for a swath of violations, including allegations the company sold unregistered securities. A ten-state coalition led by the Alabama Securities Commission also took aim at the exchange, slapping Coinbase with allegations the company’s staking program had violated various state securities laws.

Coinbase’s staking service is a cornerstone of the company’s strategy to diversify its largely trading fee-dependent revenue base. In 2022, roughly 90% of the company’s revenue came from transaction fees, but the company’s earnings have plunged as a prolonged crypto bear market has caused some investors to turn away from trading.

Armstrong insisted Coinbase would not be at risk of a bank-run-like rush of withdrawals similar to those some of its peers have suffered. “All the funds are backed one-to-one, and you don't have to take our word for it,” Armstrong said. “As a public company, we have auditors … who have gone in and verified all that.”