Paul Grewal Steps Down As Coinbase Chief Legal Officer; Molly Abraham Named General Counsel

Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal will step down effective July 31, 2026, and the company expects to appoint Molly Abraham, currently Vice President, Legal, as General Counsel and Secretary.

Coinbase said Grewal entered into an Advisor Agreement under which he will assist with the transition of his responsibilities and provide advisory services from August 1, 2026 to October 31, 2026.

93.3 The Drive

The Stock Titan report says Grewal will receive a lump-sum payment equal to three months of his current base salary after the advisory period, and it also notes continued vesting of restricted stock units scheduled to vest on August 20, 2026.

Coinbase’s leadership change is framed alongside the US Senate’s expected return on Monday, when lawmakers could resume consideration of the CLARITY Act, according to Crypto News.

Cointelegraph adds that Grewal led Coinbase’s legal team through the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s 2023 enforcement action alleging it had been operating as an unregistered securities exchange, broker and clearing agency.

Crypto News says Grewal’s departure comes days before the US Senate is expected to resume work on the CLARITY Act, with Molly Abraham set to become general counsel as Congress prepares to revisit the bill.

The same source says Coinbase continues pushing for crypto market structure legislation after its SEC lawsuit was dismissed, and it describes the proposed bill as moving much of the oversight of digital asset markets from the Securities and Exchange Commission to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Bitcoin World

ForkLog reports that Bermuda plans to create the “world’s first fully on-chain economy” with Circle and Coinbase as technical partners, and it says the initiative was unveiled at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.

ForkLog also says the partners will use the stablecoin USDC for fast and inexpensive transactions, with a pilot program for government agencies to accept payments in “stablecoins” and an expansion scheduled for May 2026.

Coinbase’s regulatory push is tied to its broader policy engagement, with Crypto News noting that Coinbase executives have urged lawmakers to pass the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act (CLARITY) and that the US Senate is on a state work period until Monday.

Coinbase’s succession includes Molly Abraham taking over as general counsel, while Ryan VanGrack is described as taking on expanded responsibilities, with Abraham becoming general counsel and VanGrack serving as vice chair, according to Crypto News.

TradingView reports that Paul Grewal will step down as Chief Legal Officer and Secretary effective July 31, 2026, with Molly Abraham expected to be appointed General Counsel and Secretary.

CoinDesk is cited by Bitcoin World as saying Grewal left his executive role to join a startup but would remain with Coinbase in an advisory capacity to ensure continuity in the exchange’s legal strategy during heightened regulatory scrutiny.

Bitcoin World also says Coinbase appointed Ryan Van Grack as Vice Chairman, joining from Citadel Securities where he served as legal counsel.

ForkLog adds that David Burt, the islands’ Premier, said the partnership will reduce citizens’ expenses and ensure the responsible introduction of innovations, while Coinbase said the initiative will demonstrate the effectiveness of clear regulatory rules in conjunction with business and government collaboration.