Coinbase Intensifies Its Legal Dispute with SEC Regarding Internal Communications on Ether

Coinbase's intermediary, History Associates Inc., has signaled its intent to urge a judge for a swift verdict on whether it should gain access to crucial SEC documents pertaining to the agency's perspective on the classification of crypto tokens as securities.

The federal court must determine if Coinbase and the general public can review what SEC officials communicated during their private deliberations about categorizing digital assets like Ether (ETH) as securities.

Coinbase has engaged History Associates to leverage the Freedom of Information Act in its pursuit of internal SEC communications. Initially, the SEC denied access, attributing its decision to an ongoing investigation. However, after a lawsuit from Coinbase over this denial, the SEC has suggested that the rationale for its original refusal may no longer stand.

"Lacking reasonable alternatives, History Associates intends to move for partial summary judgment on the SEC-generated documents," the firm stated in a recent court notice, detailing its intentions.

A spokesperson for the SEC remarked to CoinDesk that the agency would refrain from commenting beyond its public filings.

"More than a year ago, we made FOIA requests aimed at files on ETH 2.0 and other mysteries," wrote Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He further articulated that the internal communications of the SEC should be considered public property, not for the agency alone. He stated, "We then sued to end their stall, only to get an entirely new set of excuses."

Coinbase is embroiled in multiple legal conflicts with the SEC, including a confrontation concerning an enforcement action that claims Coinbase has operated unlawfully within the securities market. The outcome of these disputes may significantly shape the future regulatory landscape for the digital asset industry in the U.S.