Cryptocurrency
SEC Denies Coinbase’s Rulemaking Petition, But Some Agency Commissioners Disagree

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has responded to Coinbase’s petition, seeking a tailored regulatory framework for the crypto market, stating that the rulemaking petition is “unwarranted.”
However, two out of the five Commissioners disagreed with the decision, believing the agency should engage in robust public conversations that could result in rulemaking or guidance.
Gary Gensler: Existing Securities Laws Applied to Crypto
The SEC, in a letter to Coinbase’s chief legal officer Paul Grewal, on Dec. 15, 2023, said it opposed the petition’s claims that existing securities laws were “unworkable” for the crypto securities markets, stressing that “the requested regulatory action would significantly constrain the Commission’s choices regarding competing priorities.”
An excerpt from the letter reads:
“The Commission has carefully considered that recommendation, as well as the Petition and comment letters. After such consideration, and in the exercise of its broad discretion to set its rulemaking agenda, the Commission concludes that the requested rulemaking is currently unwarranted and denies the Petition.”
SEC chairman Gary Gensler supported the Commission’s response to Coinbase’s rulemaking petition, outlining three reasons why he was pleased with the denial.
According to him, existing securities regulations applied to crypto, with the chairman adding that the Howey Test, which the agency usually applied in various enforcement actions, was “flexible” and “capable of adaptation to meet the countless and variable schemes devised by those who seek the use of the money of others on the promise of profits.”
“Thus, to the extent that crypto assets are offered and sold in the form of an investment contract, and to the extent that entities intermediate transactions in crypto asset securities, the federal securities laws apply.”
The SEC chair further stressed that the Commission exercises discretion over how to prioritize its regulatory agenda and utilize its resources. According to Gensler, the cryptocurrency market is a small percentage of the multi-trillion capital markets.
“While the crypto market experiences outsize fraud, abuse, and noncompliance relative to its size, it nevertheless is a small portion of the bigger-than-$110 trillion capital markets. It is important that the Commission maintain discretion to direct focus to whichever parts of the capital markets need updated regulation.”
Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda Disagree With SEC’s Decision
While Gensler applauded the SEC’s decision, Commissioners Hester Peirce and Mark Uyeda were disappointed at the agency’s response.
In a statement responding to the SEC’s denial, Peirce and Uyeda noted that it was important for the SEC to engage in dialogue with market participants and other interested parties to address the issues raised in the rulemaking petition.
Coinbase’s Paul Grewal also seemed displeased with the Commission’s reply, stating, “No one looking fairly at our industry thinks the law is clear or that there isn’t more work to do.” Grewal, meanwhile, said that the crypto exchange will resort to the Third Circuit to challenge “the SEC’s abdication of its duty.”
The US-based cryptocurrency exchange filed a petition for rulemaking in July 2022, asking the SEC to propose clearer regulatory policies for the industry.
However, the top American regulator did not respond to the petition until Coinbase, in April 2023, filed a writ of mandamus compelling the agency to give a reply. Grewal, at the time, speculated that the SEC could deny the rulemaking petition.
Meanwhile, Coinbase is involved in a legal battle with the SEC after the latter accused the crypto company of operating an unregistered exchange and listing assets on its platform deemed as securities.
Binance Free $100 (Exclusive): Use this link to register and receive $100 free and 10% off fees on Binance Futures first month (terms).
Cryptocurrency
All TRX Holders Turn Profitable as Tron Hits Major 2025 Milestone

While the crypto market recovered last week, the Tron ecosystem quietly recorded a significant milestone for the year.
As reported by Burakkesmeci, an analyst for the market intelligence platform CryptoQuant, all cohorts of investors holding TRX, the native asset of the Tron network, have seen their positions turn green.
TRX Holders Enter Profit Zone
Burakkesmeci disclosed that TRX investor sentiment turned bullish as the coin recorded 115% gains in a year. The journey to this milestone kicked off on May 5 when TRX rallied to $0.25, bringing all investor cohorts, from long- to short-term participants, into the green territory.
Investors who held TRX for one week, one month, three months (short-term), six months, and one year (medium/long-term) all became profitable. According to the analyst, this development is significant for market sentiment and network dynamics because it shows the level of user confidence in Tron’s future potential.
As of May 15, TRX investors holding the asset for one week were in 10% profit, while those holding for a month were 6% in the green. Three-month-old holders were in 11% profit, while six-month and one-year-old investors had recorded gains of 52% and 115%, respectively. Burakkesmeci insisted that short-term holders being in profit drives strong positive sentiment in the market.
“These investors are more likely to share their success stories, which can encourage new participants to invest in Tron, potentially creating a feedback loop of increasing demand and momentum,” he stated.
At the time of writing on May 16, TRX was worth $0.272 following a significant, but volatile price move over the last seven days.
Tron Attains Higher Reliability and Security
Besides Tron’s latest win in profitability, the network has become more reliable and secure, with block production consistently averaging 99.7% of the expected 28,800 blocks daily. Tron has come a long way from 2020 to 2021, when it witnessed more network volatility and disruptions in block output.
A recent report by CryptoQuant said Tron is now recording a steady upward trend in production efficiency.
“The absence of large swings in block production indicates a maturing network with robust governance and operational performance, reinforcing TRON’s credibility as a high-throughput blockchain platform,” CryptoQuant added.
Meanwhile, Tether (USDT) supply on Tron recently surpassed Ethereum for the first time in crypto history.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Cryptocurrency
These Altcoins Plunge Hard but Bitcoin (BTC) Maintains $103K (Market Watch)

Bitcoin’s price slipped below $103,000 earlier today, but the bulls managed to defend that level, and the asset is back well above it now.
However, several altcoins have marked massive losses over the past day, led by another double-digit price plunge from PI.
BTC Stays Calm
Bitcoin started the business week on the right foot as its price shot up from under $104,000 to a multi-month peak of just shy of $106,000. This came as a direct consequence of the trade deal struck by the US and China.
However, the asset couldn’t maintain its run and dropped by roughly five grand in the following hours to a weekly low of under $101,000. Nevertheless, the bulls didn’t allow a breakdown beneath $100,000, and the cryptocurrency began its recovery that pushed it to $105,000 by Thursday.
Another rejection followed, and more volatility ensued on Friday, but overall, bitcoin has been able to remain in a relatively tight range between $102,500 and $104,000. The past 24 hours brought some more minor fluctuations around these levels, and BTC now stands close to the upper boundary.
Its market cap has remained above $2.050 trillion on CG while its dominance over the alts has risen by over 0.5% daily to 60.4%.
PI Keeps Dumping
Most larger-cap alts have turned red in the past 24 hours. ETH has slipped below $2,500 after a 3% daily decline. A similar nosedive is evident from DOGE, while SHIB and LINK have dropped by over 4%.
However, PI leads the pack in terms of the biggest daily losses. Pi Network’s native token has plummeted by 20% and sits below $0.7.
Other larger-cap alts in the red today include PEPE, UNI, ONDO, AAVE, NEAR, APT, and more.
The total crypto market cap has seen over $70 billion disappear in a day and is down to $3.4 trillion on CG.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
Disclaimer: Information found on CryptoPotato is those of writers quoted. It does not represent the opinions of CryptoPotato on whether to buy, sell, or hold any investments. You are advised to conduct your own research before making any investment decisions. Use provided information at your own risk. See Disclaimer for more information.
Cryptocurrency charts by TradingView.
Cryptocurrency
FTX Creditors to Receive Over $5B Starting May 30

The FTX Recovery Trust has announced it will begin disbursing more than $5 billion to creditors from May 30.
This payment round marks the second distribution to eligible parties as the firm continues its efforts to reimburse those affected by its collapse.
Repayment Efforts
In a May 15 release, the company’s bankruptcy estate categorized creditors into five “convenience classes” with specified payout rates. Members of creditors Class 5A will receive a 72% distribution, while Class 5B will be paid 54%.
Classes 6A and 6B, comprised of small lenders and Alameda Research trading partners, are each set for 61% distributions. Finally, Class 7 Convenience Claims will receive 120%.
John J. Ray III described the upcoming payments as a major development, stating:
“These first non-convenience class distributions are an important milestone for FTX. The scope and magnitude of the FTX creditor base makes this an unprecedented distribution process.”
He added that the announcement demonstrated the strong results of the team’s recovery and coordination efforts and emphasized that their focus remained on maximizing returns for creditors and addressing unresolved claims.
Eligible creditors are expected to receive their funds through their selected distribution service provider, either Bitgo or Kraken, within one to three business days after May 30. However, customers who onboard with a Distribution Service Provider will forfeit the right to receive cash directly from the bankrupt exchange, with all funds sent through their chosen provider instead.
The FTX Recovery Trust also said that the repayment schedule for upcoming creditor classes will be announced in due course. If all claims are filed, total repayments could reach up to $16.5 billion.
Separately, the FTX bankruptcy estate initiated legal proceedings in April against NFT Stars Limited and Delysium. The lawsuits aim to recover digital assets allegedly withheld from the estate and are part of the company’s efforts to reclaim funds and maximize recoveries following its November 2022 collapse.
Criticism Over Valuation Method
FTX currently has about $11.4 billion allocated for creditor repayments. The first round of reimbursements began on February 18, 2025, directed at creditors with “convenience claims” under $50,000. Approximately $1.2 billion was paid out in that phase.
The second distribution phase will now target those with requests exceeding that amount. These include major investors and institutions that held millions in crypto on the platform.
Despite progress, the repayment model has faced criticism for calculating reimbursements based on crypto values at the time of the bankruptcy filing. This has led to some creditors receiving less than the current market value of their holdings.
Binance Free $600 (CryptoPotato Exclusive): Use this link to register a new account and receive $600 exclusive welcome offer on Binance (full details).
LIMITED OFFER for CryptoPotato readers at Bybit: Use this link to register and open a $500 FREE position on any coin!
- Forex3 years ago
Forex Today: the dollar is gaining strength amid gloomy sentiment at the start of the Fed’s week
- Forex2 years ago
Unbiased review of Pocket Option broker
- Forex3 years ago
How is the Australian dollar doing today?
- Forex3 years ago
Dollar to pound sterling exchange rate today: Pound plummeted to its lowest since 1985
- Cryptocurrency3 years ago
What happened in the crypto market – current events today
- World3 years ago
Why are modern video games an art form?
- Commodities3 years ago
Copper continues to fall in price on expectations of lower demand in China
- Economy3 years ago
Crude oil tankers double in price due to EU anti-Russian sanctions