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A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

blog.coinbase.com

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Re: A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

#11

That's one million consumer accounts with no FDIC insurance, no surety bonds, and no other backstop in the event of a problem. I'd love to see a Coinbase blog post about why Coinbase doesn't need to be licensed like every other MSB registered with FinCEN.

I've often wondered the same. Section 1.1 of their user agreement:

"1.1 Coinbase helps you make payments to and accept payments from third parties. Coinbase also provides a bitcoin wallet service where you can store your bitcoin. Coinbase also allows users to buy and sell bitcoin. Coinbase is an independent contractor for all purposes. Coinbase does not have control of, or liability for, the products or services that are paid for with Coinbase services. We do not guarantee the identity of any user or other party or ensure that a buyer will complete a transaction. Coinbase is not a money transmitter. Coinbase assists its users in Bitcoin transactions."

https://coinbase.com/legal/user_agreement

You hook up a bank account, "transmit" funds from a bank, receive virtual currency (and in reverse) but they are an independent contractor, assisting with the process. Very interesting approach.

A simple person might say the service very much looks like a money transmission, money exchanging business. The fees for acting as a money transmitter without licenses is supposedly up to $1k/incident.

Re: A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

#12
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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Financial accounts. One person can have many bank accounts. I would guess they're using the word "wallet" to avoid regulatory scrutiny that might be applied to financial accounts. People might feel like "wallets" can get lost or stolen. "Accounts" shouldn't. These are accounts.

> People might feel like "wallets" can get lost or stolen. "Accounts" shouldn't.

That's exactly why the term "wallet" should be used. This is cash, and should be treated accordingly and thought of accordingly. Terms like "wallet" help people develop a reasonable mental model that fits reality.

Re: A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

#13

That's one million consumer accounts with no FDIC insurance, no surety bonds, and no other backstop in the event of a problem. I'd love to see a Coinbase blog post about why Coinbase doesn't need to be licensed like every other MSB registered with FinCEN.

FDIC insurance is aimed at banks that make loans, which Coinbase does not.

Re: A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

#14

That's one million consumer accounts with no FDIC insurance, no surety bonds, and no other backstop in the event of a problem. I'd love to see a Coinbase blog post about why Coinbase doesn't need to be licensed like every other MSB registered with FinCEN.

That's a million wallets that can instantly, pseudonymously send money to some random dude halfway around the world.

Re: A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

#15

I realize it's all startup-y to pat yourself on the back about growth, but aren't you painting a target on your back for those that want to perform the next heist?

If you're avoiding press for security reasons, you may be doing it wrong.

Re: A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

#16
post #11

That's one million consumer accounts with no FDIC insurance, no surety bonds, and no other backstop in the event of a problem. I'd love to see a Coinbase blog post about why Coinbase doesn't need to be licensed like every other MSB registered with FinCEN.

I've often wondered the same. Section 1.1 of their user agreement: "1.1 Coinbase helps you make payments to and accept payments from third parties. Coinbase also provides a bitcoin wallet service where you can store your bitcoin. Coinbase also allows users to buy and sell bitcoin. Coinbase is an independent contractor for all purposes. Coinbase does not have control of, or liability for, the products or services that…

"Coinbase is not a money transmitter" is a demonstrably false statement in violation of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1125(a)(1)(A). You can find Coinbase's registration with FinCEN as a Money Services Business at:

http://www.fincen.gov/financial_institutions/msb/msbstatesel...

Just search for Coinbase. They provided the address of their statutory agent in Delaware even though they're in San Francisco.

Re: A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

#17

I realize it's all startup-y to pat yourself on the back about growth, but aren't you painting a target on your back for those that want to perform the next heist?

No security is perfect of course, but Coinbase has over 98% of the funds in cold-storage. See: http://antonopoulos.com/2014/02/25/coinbase-review/

Re: A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

#18
Quick question: What's preventing Coinbase from shutting down operations tomorrow and walking away with everyone's money, as MtGox walked away with mine?

Or, what if the founders orchestrated some sort of disaster wherein all of the coins are claimed to be lost, but in reality they're simply transferred to the founders?

I know they wouldn't actually do that. My question is, what's stopping them? Why wouldn't someone try to do that, other than their morals?

Re: A Major Coinbase Milestone: 1 Million Consumer Wallets

#20

Quick question: What's preventing Coinbase from shutting down operations tomorrow and walking away with everyone's money, as MtGox walked away with mine? Or, what if the founders orchestrated some sort of disaster wherein all of the coins are claimed to be lost, but in reality they're simply transferred to the founders? I know they wouldn't actually do that. My question is, what's stopping them? Why wouldn't someone…

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