Key Insights
- Coinbase resumes operations in Hawaii after a six-year absence due to regulatory changes.
- Hawaii’s previous strict crypto regulations, requiring 1:1 cash reserves for bitcoin holdings, forced Coinbase to exit in 2017.
- The state’s regulatory sandbox program ended on June 30, 2023, allowing crypto companies to operate under federal regulations.
HONOLULU (MarketsXplora) – Coinbase, a leading cryptocurrency exchange, has announced its return to the Hawaiian market after a six-year hiatus, capitalizing on recent regulatory changes in the state.
The San Francisco-based company revealed on Tuesday that Hawaii residents can now access a full suite of crypto services, including buying, selling, and managing digital assets, as well as staking and international fund transfers.
“We are officially entering Hawaii following regulatory changes made by the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Division of Financial Institutions which provide clarity for cryptocurrency firms,” Coinbase stated in a release.
This move marks a significant turnaround from 2017 when Coinbase withdrew from Hawaii due to stringent regulations requiring companies to maintain cash reserves equal to their bitcoin holdings. Juan Suarez, Coinbase’s then Head of Legal, had described the policy as making it “impossible” for the exchange to operate in the state.
The landscape began to shift in 2020 when Hawaii launched the Digital Currency Innovation Lab, a regulatory sandbox allowing select crypto businesses to operate without a state money transmitter license for two years. While this program concluded on June 30, 2023, crypto companies can now operate in Hawaii as unregulated businesses, provided they comply with federal licensing and regulatory requirements.
Coinbase’s re-entry into Hawaii comes at a time when the exchange is experiencing substantial trading volumes. In July alone, Coinbase facilitated nearly $64 billion in crypto trading, according to The Block’s Data Dashboard.