Coinbase and Other CEXs Push to Relax Senate Crypto Regulatory Provisions, Seeking to Weaken Restrictions on 'Manipulable Assets'

Odaily reports that major US-based crypto exchanges Coinbase, Kraken, and Gemini are pushing for amendments to the Senate's crypto market structure bill, seeking to delete or relax the listing restrictions on 'digital assets susceptible to manipulation.' The original clause requires trading platforms to only list digital assets that are 'not easily manipulated.' The industry is concerned that this standard could limit the ability of small-cap tokens to be listed on exchanges, thereby impacting liquidity and market development.

According to sources, the exchanges submitted revision proposals to the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this year, suggesting the removal of the relevant restrictive language and emphasizing that the current wording could create a 'listing barrier' for small-cap crypto assets. Under the bill's design, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) would gain broader regulatory authority over digital commodity markets in the future, adopting a 'self-certification' mechanism used in traditional commodity markets, which requires exchanges to confirm that a product is not easily manipulated before it can be listed.

However, the crypto industry believes that digital assets have structural differences from traditional commodity derivatives, making it unreasonable to simply apply existing standards, which could stifle innovation and market access. A source noted that the current direction of revisions is seen as a 'clear push for regulatory easing.' A Coinbase policy executive stated that the industry supports stronger regulatory and anti-fraud frameworks but opposes directly transplanting standards unsuitable for spot markets, as it would affect market liquidity and consumer participation. It is understood that the bill is still in the negotiation phase between two Senate committees and is expected to undergo further adjustments before being formally submitted for a full floor vote. (Politico)