The Commodity Futures Trading Commission of the United States issued a subpoena to Coinbase, seeking information about specific customers in its books as part of an investigation into Polymarket, one of the popular cryptocurrency-based prediction markets.
Published one week before the term of President Joe Biden expires, on January 9, 2025, is a subpoena that the biggest cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase alerted its clients by e-mail about their potential account information sharing by the CFTC.
However, Coinbase assured its users that no action would be required unless such users receive further legal documentation before January 15, 2025, which could have the effect of blocking the subpoena.
There is controversy over this move, and it comes ahead of the change in leadership. The current Chairman of the CFTC is Rostin Behnam. President-elect Donald Trump’s new team is already considering names to lead the CFTC, which is seen as one step closer to a more friendlier approach to crypto.
Polymarket, which allows users to place bets on a wide range of events, including political outcomes, has been under the scrutiny of regulators. The platform gained attention during the 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections, leading the CFTC to argue that such prediction markets resemble illegal gambling. Polymarket faced a legal battle, having been previously fined $1.4 million for operating without proper registration.
According to critics, this subpoena represents a more aggressive step by the Biden administration against the crypto industry despite previous promises to provide a much more amicable regulatory environment. Many people within the crypto space have voiced frustrations and even dubbed it a “witch hunt” against the sector.
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