Coinbase legal chief Paul Grewal to step down July 31

Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal will leave his role on July 31 and transition into a three-month advisory position, the company disclosed in an SEC Form 8-K filed July 8. The filing also states he will remain a director of Coinbase National Trust Company.

Grewal posted the change on X, writing that after helping take Coinbase public, fighting the SEC and winning, moving the company from Delaware to Texas, and working on legislation including GENIUS and CLARITY, he was ready for “new adventures.”

Grewal joined Coinbase in the summer of 2020 to oversee legal, compliance and government relations, replacing Brian Brooks. He led legal work around Coinbase’s April 2021 public listing and served as the company’s lead lawyer during a 2023 suit brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission alleging the exchange operated as an unregistered broker, clearing agency and exchange.

Under the transition plan described in the filing, Molly Abraham, Coinbase’s vice president of legal, is expected to be appointed general counsel and will head the legal department. Abraham joined Coinbase in March 2021 and has worked with Grewal on major legal matters.

Ryan VanGrack, a legal vice president, is set to take on a new role as vice chairman. Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad will continue to lead the company’s global policy work, according to the filing.

The 8-K specifies Grewal’s advisory agreement will last three months after his July 31 departure. The company has not provided an official start date for Abraham in the filing.

During Grewal’s tenure Coinbase relocated its headquarters from Delaware to Texas, expanded product offerings and pursued federal and state legislative efforts related to digital assets. Coinbase confirmed the leadership changes through its SEC filing and offered no further comment beyond Grewal’s public post and the details in the 8-K.