Coinbase Asks SEC to Disclose Expenditures of ‘War on Crypto’

Coinbase, a prominent U.S. crypto exchange, has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request under the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). As per Paul Grewal, the CLO at Coinbase, the FOIA request by the crypto exchange emphasizes the requirement for regulatory clarity and authorities’ accountability concerning the digital asset sector. The executive announced this move in a series of posts shared on his official social media account.

We know the previous @SECgov’s regulation-by-enforcement approach cost Americans innovation, global leadership, and jobs, but how much did it cost in taxpayer dollars? Today @Coinbase submitted a FOIA request asking the SEC to explain how much its war on crypto cost taxpayers.…

— paulgrewal.eth (@iampaulgrewal) March 3, 2025

Coinbase’s FOIA Request Seeks to Unfold What SEC Enforcement Costs Across Crypto Sector

Paul Grewal highlighted the importance of Coinbase’s latest Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in holding the authorities responsible. The chief legal officer of Coinbase considers that, the purpose of this submission is to bring regulatory clarity to the world of digital assets. Grewal condemned the approach of the SEC’s previous administration. He argued that the respective administration oppressed innovation, damaged worldwide competitiveness, as well as cost numerous jobs in the country.

Nonetheless, beyond the technological and economic impact, the centralized crypto exchange is currently questioning the other plights brought about by the SEC. A crucial among them includes the huge financial weight that its aggressive stance of the agency approach against crypto entities has placed on taxpayers. The FOIA request particularly seeks details concerning the total number of enforcement actions and investigations conducted by the SEC. The crypto exchange also demands a record of how many personnel were given the respective cases as well as the cost of their work.

Promoting Transparency, Fairness, and Clarity in Crypto Regulations

According to Paul Grewal, a key point of Coinbase’s FOIA request focuses on the Crypto Asset and Cyber Unit of SEC’s Enforcement Division. Coinbase intends to reveal the unit’s cumulative budget, its total number of workers, and the wider financial resources that it allocated for its operations. This development underscores the crypto exchange’s comprehensive endeavors to drive transparent, fair, and clear regulations.