Coinbase debuted on the U.S. stock market on April 14, 2021 - the same day U.S. senators confirmed Gary Gensler to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the country's top markets regulator. Gensler, who has called the crypto sector a "Wild West" riddled with fraud, is now embroiled in a battle with the world's largest publicly-traded crypto firm over a core debate: whether digital assets are investment contracts akin to stocks or bonds that should be regulated by the SEC. Friction between crypto proponents and the regulator have been brewing under Gensler's leadership, with both sides growing ... (full story)