Coinbase to delist WBTC, halt trading on Dec. 19

Coinbase will disable Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC) buying and selling pairs from its alternate and Prime platforms on Dec. 19, citing the token’s failure to fulfill its itemizing requirements, in response to a Nov. 19 announcement.

Customers will nonetheless be capable of withdraw their funds previous this date.

Coinbase didn’t specify how WBTC falls under its itemizing requirements, the choice comes three months after WBTC issuer BitGo introduced a multi-jurisdictional custody mannequin to spice up its international enlargement plan. 

BitGo transferred WBTC’s management to a three way partnership with BiT International, which is tied to TRON founder Justin Solar. Because of this, the neighborhood confirmed concern over how a lot affect Solar would have over WBTC.

This alteration prompted DeFi protocols similar to Sky (former Maker) to vote for WBTC removing as collateral for its stablecoin DAI.

Some companies, together with Coinbase, have stepped in to cowl the hole left by WBTC within the artificial Bitcoin (BTC) market. The alternate just lately launched the Coinbase BTC (cbBTC).

Difficult dominance

In line with a Kaiko report, Coinbase’s cbBTC is making notable inroads in adoption on the main cash market, Aave. Since early October, cbBTC’s share of Aave’s artificial Bitcoin market has surged from 3% to 17%, marking a 5x enhance in simply weeks.

Launched in September, cbBTC has already reached a market cap of $1.3 billion, capturing almost 10% of the market dominated by WBTC.

Its speedy ascent displays its enchantment as a diversifier to WBTC and the influence of focused incentives, similar to Aave’s October Benefit reward program, which promotes cbBTC deposits and USD Coin (USDC) borrowing.

In contrast to stablecoins, wrapped property like WBTC and cbBTC aren’t pegged to BTC, buying and selling at values that may deviate from their underlying asset on account of market circumstances. Since August, WBTC has constantly traded at a reduction versus BTC, marking its steepest divergence because the FTX collapse.

The report famous that as WBTC navigates mounting scrutiny, cbBTC’s momentum alerts a possible shift within the aggressive panorama for wrapped Bitcoin property.

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