TRON Founder Blasts Coinbase’s Wrapped Bitcoin Product cbBTC as ‘Central Bank Bitcoin’, Brian Armstrong Responds

As a seasoned analyst with over two decades of experience navigating the ever-evolving world of finance and technology, I find myself intrigued by Coinbase’s recent introduction of cbBTC. This innovative product, designed to bridge Bitcoin with DeFi applications on various networks, presents an exciting opportunity for users to leverage their Bitcoin holdings in new ways.


Coinbase has unveiled cbBTC, a modified form of Bitcoin, tailored for use with applications within the realm of Decentralized Finance (DeFi) on Ethereum and Base networks. The purpose of this innovation is to broaden Bitcoin’s functionality beyond just holding or trading, empowering users to engage in diverse DeFi activities without needing to swap their Bitcoin into other digital currencies.

cbBTC, which is directly tied to the amount of Bitcoin stored securely by Coinbase, allows for smooth transitions between networks such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Base. This means users can now interact with well-known DeFi platforms like Uniswap, Aave, Compound, and Curve using their Bitcoin savings. The introduction of cbBTC represents a substantial advancement in building a more interconnected financial system and could possibly speed up the integration of Bitcoin within DeFi platforms.

Nevertheless, the arrival of cbBTC has not been free from debate. The founder of TRON, Justin Sun, expressed reservations about the product on the social media platform X. He criticized cbBTC for lacking proof of reserves and audits, implying that Coinbase might potentially freeze and blacklist accounts interacting with cbBTC. Sun argued that such control goes against the decentralized essence of Bitcoin and could potentially endanger DeFi protocols by posing security risks.

Sun’s comments sparked a debate about the role of centralized entities in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. He referred to cbBTC as “central bank btc,” implying that it goes against the original vision of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.

cbbtc=central bank btc. There is no more ridiculous combination in the world than putting central banks and Bitcoin together. I imagine this is a day Satoshi Nakamoto could never have envisioned when creating Bitcoin.

— H.E. Justin Sun🌞(hiring) (@justinsuntron) September 12, 2024

In addressing the criticisms and concerns about Coinbase’s custody services for eight out of eleven U.S.-listed spot Bitcoin ETF products, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong spoke on the topic X. Armstrong made it clear that all transactions related to ETFs are ultimately settled on the blockchain, usually within one business day. He highlighted that Coinbase undergoes yearly audits by Deloitte and, being a publicly-traded company, prioritizes maintaining high levels of transparency.

Concerning the use of cbBTC particularly, Armstrong admitted that users do rely on a centralized guardian to keep their Bitcoin holdings. He emphasized that Coinbase has not misled anyone about this, implying that such an arrangement is essential for institutional investors to participate in Bitcoin investment.

As your analyst, I’m clarifying a point: All the Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) creation and redemption processes we handle ultimately get settled on the blockchain. Before these transactions are settled, our institutional clients have the option to use trade financing or Over-The-Counter (OTC) agreements for their trades. This practice is standard across all our institutional clientele. All funds involved in these processes are accounted for and secure.

— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) September 14, 2024

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2024-09-15 11:47