The post Coinbase Sues 3 States Over Prediction Market Laws appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Coinbase is taking three US states to court in a bid to lock inThe post Coinbase Sues 3 States Over Prediction Market Laws appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Coinbase is taking three US states to court in a bid to lock in

Coinbase Sues 3 States Over Prediction Market Laws

3 min read

Coinbase is taking three US states to court in a bid to lock in federal protection for its planned prediction markets, opening a new front in the battle over whether event contracts are finance or gambling.

The exchange has sued regulators in Connecticut, Illinois, and Michigan, asking federal judges to declare that prediction markets listed on a US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)-regulated platform fall under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and the CFTC’s claimed exclusive jurisdiction, not 50 separate state gambling codes.

In a Friday X post, chief legal officer Paul Grewal said Coinbase filed the cases “to confirm what is clear: prediction markets fall squarely under the jurisdiction of the @CFTC, not any individual state gaming regulator (let alone 50).”

Source: Paul Grewal

Related: Coinbase appoints former UK minister George Osborne to chair advisory council

Coinbase’s federalism challenge to state gambling laws

Coinbase frames the dispute as both a legal and structural question. Court filings argue that if each state can independently decide whether federally supervised prediction markets are illegal gambling, the most restrictive regime would effectively become the national standard, “turning our system of federalism upside down.”

The company also leans hard on the way Congress defined “commodity” in the CEA, noting that lawmakers chose to carve out only a handful of specific underliers, notably onions and “motion‑picture box‑office receipts,” rather than sports or politics.

Coinbase filing against Michigan. Source: Court Listener

Grewal draws a clear line between Coinbase’s planned markets and traditional sportsbooks. Casinos and bookmakers, he argues, profit from customer losses and set odds to maximize their winnings. Prediction markets, he says, are neutral matching engines that pair buyers and sellers and are indifferent to price.

Treating both as the same thing, Coinbase says, would not only misread the statute but also smother a federally regulated product that is supposed to live inside the derivatives framework, with CFTC surveillance and position limits.

Related: Coinbase adds stock trading, prediction markets in ‘everything app’ push

Kalshi’s mixed record shows what’s at stake for prediction markets

Kalshi, which already operates as a CFTC‑designated contract market for event contracts, has been testing that theory in court for almost a year. It has sued or been sued in at least six states over whether its sports and event markets are CFTC‑regulated derivatives or unlicensed gambling.

Outcomes so far are mixed. In Nevada and Maryland, judges have held that Kalshi is subject to state gaming oversight despite its CFTC status, while in New Jersey and, more recently, Connecticut, federal courts have granted the company temporary protection from enforcement while they weigh broader injunctions. Massachusetts, meanwhile, has sued to block Kalshi’s sports products, with an injunction decision not expected until early 2026.

With Coinbase now effectively adopting Kalshi’s pre‑emption playbook, the combined docket could force federal courts to answer the core question both firms have been circling. Are US prediction markets going to be treated as regulated financial instruments under the CEA, or as gambling products that live or die under state law?

Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/coinbase-sues-states-prediction-markets?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound

Market Opportunity
Talus Logo
Talus Price(US)
$0.00611
$0.00611$0.00611
-0.65%
USD
Talus (US) Live Price Chart
Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact service@support.mexc.com for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.

You May Also Like

Trading time: Tonight, the US GDP and the upcoming non-farm data will become the market focus. Institutions are bullish on BTC to $120,000 in the second quarter.

Trading time: Tonight, the US GDP and the upcoming non-farm data will become the market focus. Institutions are bullish on BTC to $120,000 in the second quarter.

Daily market key data review and trend analysis, produced by PANews.
Share
PANews2025/04/30 13:50
Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade Set for December 3 Mainnet Launch, Blob Capacity to Double

Ethereum Fusaka Upgrade Set for December 3 Mainnet Launch, Blob Capacity to Double

Ethereum developers confirmed the Fusaka upgrade will activate on mainnet on December 3, 2025, following a systematic testnet rollout beginning on October 1 on Holesky. The major hard fork will implement around 11-12 Ethereum Improvement Proposals targeting scalability, node efficiency, and data availability improvements without adding new user-facing features. According to Christine Kim, the upgrade introduces a phased blob capacity expansion through Blob Parameter Only forks occurring two weeks after Fusaka activation. Initially maintaining current blob limits of 6/9 target/max, the first BPO fork will increase capacity to 10/15 blobs one week later. A second BPO fork will further expand limits to 14/21 blobs, more than doubling total capacity within two weeks. Strategic Infrastructure Overhaul Fusaka prioritizes backend protocol improvements over user-facing features, focusing on making Ethereum faster and less resource-intensive. The upgrade includes PeerDAS implementation through EIP-7594, allowing validator nodes to verify data by sampling small pieces rather than downloading entire blobs. This reduces bandwidth and storage requirements while enhancing Layer 2 rollup scalability. The upgrade builds on recent gas limit increases from 30 million to 45 million gas, with ongoing discussions for further expansion. EIP-7935 proposes increasing limits to 150 million gas, potentially enabling significantly higher transaction throughput. These improvements complement broader scalability efforts, including EIP-9698, which suggests a 100x gas limit increase over two years to reach 2,000 transactions per second. Fusaka removes the previously planned EVM Object Format redesign to reduce complexity while maintaining focus on essential infrastructure improvements. The upgrade introduces bounded base fees for blob transactions via EIP-7918, creating more predictable transaction costs for data-heavy applications. Enhanced spam resistance and security improvements strengthen network resilience against scalability bottlenecks and attacks. Technical Implementation and Testing Timeline The Fusaka rollout follows a conservative four-phase approach across Ethereum testnets before mainnet deployment. Holesky upgrade occurs October 1, followed by Sepolia on October 14 and Hoodi on October 28. Each testnet will undergo the complete BPO fork sequence to validate the blob capacity expansion mechanism. BPO forks activate automatically based on predetermined epochs rather than requiring separate hard fork processes. On mainnet, the first BPO fork launches December 17, increasing blob capacity to 10/15 target/max. The second BPO fork activates January 7, 2026, reaching the final capacity of 14/21 blobs. This automated approach enables flexible blob scaling without requiring full network upgrades. Notably, node operators face release deadlines ranging from September 25 for Holesky to November 3 for mainnet preparation. The staggered timeline, according to the developers, allows comprehensive testing while giving infrastructure providers sufficient preparation time. Speculatively, the developers use this backward-compatible approach to ensure smooth transitions with minimal disruption to existing applications. PeerDAS implementation reduces node resource demands, potentially increasing network decentralization by lowering barriers for smaller operators. The technology enables more efficient data availability sampling, crucial for supporting growing Layer 2 rollup adoption. Overall, these improvements, combined with increased gas limits, will enable Ethereum to handle higher transaction volumes while maintaining security guarantees. Addressing Network Scalability Pressures The Fusaka upgrade addresses mounting pressure for Ethereum base layer improvements amid criticism of Layer 2 fragmentation strategies. Critics argue that reliance on rollups has created isolated chains with limited interoperability, complicating user experiences. The upgrade’s focus on infrastructure improvements aims to enhance base layer capacity while supporting continued Layer 2 growth. The recent validator queue controversy particularly highlights ongoing network scalability challenges. According to a Cryptonews report covered yesterday, currently, over 2M ETH sits in exit queues facing 43-day delays, while entry queues process in just 7 days.Ethereum Validator Queue (Source: ValidatorQueue) However, Vitalik Buterin defended these delays as essential for network security, comparing validator commitments to military service requiring “friction in quitting.” The upgrade coincides with growing institutional interest in Ethereum infrastructure, with VanEck predicting that Layer 2 networks could reach $1 trillion market capitalization within six years. Fusaka’s emphasis on data availability and node efficiency supports Ethereum’s evolution toward seamless cross-chain interoperability. The upgrade complements initiatives like the Open Intents Framework, where Coinbase Payments recently joined as a core contributor. The initiative, if successful, will address the $21B surge in cross-chain crime. These coordinated efforts aim to unify the fragmented multichain experience while maintaining Ethereum’s security and decentralization principles
Share
CryptoNews2025/09/19 16:37
VectorUSA Achieves Fortinet’s Engage Preferred Services Partner Designation

VectorUSA Achieves Fortinet’s Engage Preferred Services Partner Designation

TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — VectorUSA, a trusted technology solutions provider, specializes in delivering integrated IT, security, and infrastructure
Share
AI Journal2026/02/05 00:02