Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal Departs After SEC Victory
In brief
- Paul Grewal departs Coinbase after leading the exchange through its high-profile SEC lawsuit and regulatory fights.
- Molly Abraham becomes general counsel to lead Coinbase's legal team after joining in 2021.
- Ryan Van Grack moves to vice chairman in a broader, more public-facing role.
Leadership Shuffle at Coinbase
Molly Abraham, who joined Coinbase in March 2021 running multiple legal teams as vice president of legal, has been appointed as the company's general counsel. Abraham previously served as general counsel at an electric flying car startup before her tenure at Coinbase.
Ryan Van Grack, a former general counsel at Citadel Securities who led Coinbase's widespread litigation work, will become vice chairman in what's anticipated to be a broader and more public-facing role.
The SEC Battle and Its End
The regulatory fight that prompted these moves began in 2023, when the SEC sued Coinbase, alleging it was operating as an unregistered broker, clearinghouse, and exchange for securities. The SEC, helmed at the time by former Chair Gary Gensler, had filed similar suits against a number of exchanges.
The regulator dropped the suit after President Donald Trump retook office. During Grewal's tenure, Coinbase also fought in court to view internal SEC documents about its approach to regulating crypto and pursued a petition to force the SEC to establish crypto rules.
"Leading Coinbase's legal team through the biggest fight of our industry has been the single greatest achievement of my six-year tenure. Our legal wins helped ensure crypto not only had a future in this country, but could flourish." — Paul Grewal, Coinbase Chief Legal Officer
