- BitGlobal has filed a lawsuit against Coinbase for delisting Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), claiming financial and reputational damages
- Coinbase has defended its decision, citing compliance and risk concerns over WBTC’s regulatory status
- The lawsuit underscores growing tensions between exchanges over digital asset delistings and market practices
Cryptocurrency exchange BitGlobal has sued its larger competitor, Coinbase, alleging significant damages following Coinbase’s decision to delist Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC). BitGlobal claims that the delisting caused financial losses and tarnished its reputation in the crypto market. Coinbase, however, has maintained that its actions were driven by regulatory concerns, igniting a broader discussion on the impact of asset delistings on the crypto ecosystem.
BitGlobal Alleges Harm
BitGlobal’s lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that the delisting of WBTC caused “irreparable harm” to BitGlobal, both in terms of financial performance and market reputation. The filing claims that Coinbase failed to provide adequate notice before removing WBTC, a decision that BitGlobal believes was unjustified:
This delisting was executed without transparency and has disrupted the market dynamics, disproportionately harming BitGlobal.
Coinbase revealed its intention to remove WBTC from all its trading platforms last week, with the removal to take effect on Thursday. The announcement aligns with the company’s recent efforts to promote its native wrapped Bitcoin token, cbBTC, which has been introduced to the Solana blockchain.
Coinbase Defends Decision
Coinbase has responded to the lawsuit by defending its decision to delist WBTC, pointing to regulatory and compliance risks. In a public statement, the company explained, “Our priority is ensuring the assets on our platform comply with evolving regulatory standards. Delisting WBTC was a precautionary measure to mitigate potential legal and market risks.”
Wrapped Bitcoin, a tokenized version of Bitcoin that operates on the Ethereum blockchain, has faced increasing scrutiny as regulators around the world tighten their grip on crypto projects.
