As a seasoned analyst with years of experience in the cryptocurrency market, I find the recent allegations against Coinbase to be intriguing, if not a bit unsettling. The cryptosphere is built on trust but also verification, and when that trust seems shaky, it’s natural for speculation to rise.
Contrary to rumors, Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, asserts that the firm did not sell unbacked paper Bitcoins to BlackRock, implying a lack of 1:1 correspondence between the sold and the actual Bitcoin holdings.
The accusations have sparked discussions within the cryptocurrency world, as certain individuals claim that Coinbase is not open enough about its Bitcoin holdings.
Brian Armstrong Dispels the Rumors
As a researcher delving into the intricacies of cryptocurrency, I recently found myself discussing Bitcoin’s dynamics with crypto analyst Tyler Durden. Armstrong clarified that the creation and destruction of Bitcoin for BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin ETF occur in an open and on-chain manner – meaning all transactions are publicly visible on the blockchain. Interestingly, Durden had presented data from Cryptoquant indicating that Coinbase is a significant player, both as a buyer and seller, at both market peaks and troughs.
Furthermore, he hinted at the possibility that the exchange was allowing BlackRock to borrow Bitcoin without requiring collateral. Given BlackRock’s significant global Bitcoin holdings, the analyst proposed a scenario where both entities could benefit from Bitcoin price fluctuations by manipulating its ups and downs.
On the contrary, the CEO of Coinbase has denied the accusations. He characterized Durden’s worries as standard issues faced by institutional clients. Moreover, he highlighted that Deloitte conducts an annual audit on Coinbase, and the outcomes are openly accessible for validation.
He also pointed out that the company cannot share its institutional clients’ wallet addresses, citing privacy concerns. “I doubt our institutional clients want people dusting all their addresses, and it’s not our place to share for them,” he stated.
Eric Balchunas, an analyst at Bloomberg, also addressed the dispute, refuting the recent allegations. In a post on platform X, he stated…
“It makes sense why people might suspect ETFs and believe they are the sellers. However, it’s important to remember that native HODLers could also be the ones selling.
He also added that ETFs such as that offered by BlackRock have helped stabilize bitcoin’s price during periods of market volatility.
cbBTC Controversy
Armstrong had to deal with matters related to his firm’s Bitcoin product, cbBTC, too. He acknowledged that the value of cbBTC is supported by a centralized guardian service, and that Coinbase serves as this guardian in this instance.
Instead, Durden countered Armstrong’s claim using a quote that seemed to originate from the unknown founder of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, which stated, “Don’t rely on trust, confirm it yourself.
A fellow community participant shared comparable apprehensions, stating: “They aren’t offering any evidence of their Bitcoin reserves or backing for their newly introduced paper Bitcoin known as cbBTC.
Previously, the creator of Tron (TRX), Justin Sun, criticized a recent service introduced by Coinbase, stating that it did not have a Proof of Reserve system, was without any audits, and potentially allowed for freezing of user funds.
The debut of cbBTC positions Coinbase against BitGo’s Wrapped Bitcoin (WBBC), which is soon to be overseen by Justin Sun’s company. Given this, some experts have hypothesized that the recent allegations might stem from a larger struggle for market dominance between these significant players in the derivatives sector.
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2024-09-16 19:46