Coinbase recently made a calculated strategic step to expand into European markets by acquiring a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license from the Financial Markets Authority (AMF) of France.
The acquisition of the VASP license from the French regulatory authority establishes Coinbase as an acknowledged and adherent participant in the French financial sector.
Based on trading volume, CoinGecko ranks Coinbase as the third-largest cryptocurrency exchange, with only Bybit and the similarly registered Binance surpassing it.
Coinbase Aims For Compliance Excellence
According to a statement released by the firm on Thursday, Coinbase will be able to provide custody of digital assets, purchase or sell digital assets using legal cash, trade digital assets against other digital assets, and run a digital asset trading platform thanks to the VASP registration.
This move is a sign of Coinbase’s dedication to adhering to legal requirements and building a respectable brand in global marketplaces.
Coinbase is at loggerheads with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for specific regulations in the US, although it has stated that it wants to be regulated in nations with established laws governing the sector.
“Achieving VASP status in France allows us to continue to grow globally in the best possible way, onboarding the next 1 billion people into crypto, while ensuring consumers’ assets are secure and compliance is prioritized,” Daniel Seifert, vice president and regional managing director, EMEA, at Coinbase, said.
Similar to other European regulators, French authorities have been lagging behind in the development of new technologies such as blockchain and cryptocurrency, attempting to strike a balance between leveraging these innovations to enhance trading and payment processes and safeguarding consumers.
Coinbase Challenges SEC Over Crypto Rules
The Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation, which the European Union has been attempting to enact, would establish a uniform framework for cryptocurrencies to function inside the EU.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler has stated that he will not tolerate any leniency when it comes to crypto assets and digital asset service providers. He has labeled the majority of tokens as securities and insisted that virtual currencies be governed by the laws already in place.
Nice small win. We went to court to challenge the SEC’s refusal to create clear rules for the industry – and it worked (a court compelled them to respond).
Now that they’ve formally responded (with a no!) we can challenge their response in court, which helps us get one step… https://t.co/3RcTk1OVcp
— Brian Armstrong
(@brian_armstrong) December 16, 2023
Coinbase differs with the SEC’s assessment of cryptocurrency’s securities status, as do many other crypto organizations and supporters. According to Coinbase, the enterprise, led by CEO Brian Armstrong, filed a rule-making plea with the SEC, which has regulated through litigation, requesting transparent crypto regulations.
President Emmanuel Macron wants to make France a global center for technology, and Coinbase’s entry into the country is in line with this aim. The French government has committed to investing 34 billion euros over the course of five years under the “France 2030” project.
This investment strengthens France’s standing in innovative areas such as blockchain, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.
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