Coinbase Exchange announced the removal of trading pairs ASM/USDT, ATA/USDT, DESO/EUR, FORT/USDT, FORTH/GBP, MCO2/USDT, XYO/BTC.
The formal reason for delisting was called the consolidation of assets – the removal from the site little liquid assets and related trading pairs.
From the cryptocurrency community, Coinbase’s actions were seen as an “act of cleansing” and strengthening the exchange’s position amid a new level of litigation intensity with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Almost immediately after delisting the aforementioned trading pairs, Coinbase filed a counterclaim against the regulator.
In its filing, Coinbase draws the court’s attention to the SEC’s deliberate continuation of its campaign against the cryptocurrency industry and the agency’s disregard for rulemaking tasks related to digital assets.
About a month ago, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said the exchange would consider leaving the U.S. if uncertainty about regulation of the crypto industry persisted.