It’s not every day that the crypto world gets a break, but this week, it seems like one just landed. The SEC, after months of legal back-and-forth, has agreed in principle to drop its enforcement case against Coinbase.
No fines, no changes to how the exchange operates — just a clean verdict, pending final approval from the Commission. Brian Armstrong, Coinbase’s CEO, confirmed the news, adding that the decision could be finalized as early as next week.
The case, filed back in June, had accused Coinbase of trading unregistered securities, specifically naming 13 tokens, including Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL) and Polygon (MATIC). The SEC’s argument hinged on the idea that these tokens were under the control of their respective development teams, making them securities under U.S. law.
For Cardano, the SEC pointed to the influence of three key players in its ecosystem: the Cardano Foundation, EMURGO and Input Output.
Cardano creator breaks silence
When the news of the potential dismissal broke, Charles Hoskinson, the main figure behind Cardano, didn’t hold back. “The healing has begun,” he said, a statement that resonated across the crypto community.
The healing has begun https://t.co/5kW3YLD1D3 pic.twitter.com/rMGkmQVCo0
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) February 21, 2025
It’s not hard to see why. For months, the lawsuit had cast a shadow over not just Coinbase but the entire industry, raising questions about how far the SEC’s reach would extend.
Cryptocurrency market reaction to Coinbase news
The market, as always, reacted fast. Now that Coinbase received the “green light,” the price of the COIN stock added 4.52% on the pre-market trading. Meanwhile, the Cardano token ADA saw an instant 2% gain in a matter of an hour since the news broke, and is currently trading at $0.81.
What happens next is a guess. Either way, for now, the mood is cautiously optimistic.
