Justin Sun Blasts Coinbase And cbBTC, Says Launch “A Dark Day For Bitcoin”

As a seasoned researcher with years of experience in the cryptocurrency industry, I find Justin Sun’s concerns about cbBTC quite valid and thought-provoking. Having closely followed the evolution of Bitcoin and other blockchain platforms, I can appreciate the significance of his comments.


Justin Sun, the co-founder of Tron, a smart contracts platform and one of many blockchains competing with Ethereum, has an issue with the recently launched cbBTC, a wrapped Bitcoin token by Coinbase, a top crypto exchange complying with United States laws.  

Justin Sun Of Tron Picks Out Issues With cbBTC

As a researcher delving into the topic of X, I’ve taken note of some pressing issues that Sun has highlighted. Centralization is one area of concern, with potential vulnerabilities to government takeover being another. Additionally, the lack of transparency or ‘opaqueness’ around X is a matter that requires closer scrutiny.

From a personal perspective as a crypto investor, I’ve noticed that cbBTC is being introduced as an alternative to wBTC, serving as a wrapped form of Bitcoin for DeFi participation. However, despite its potential benefits, there’s been a heated discussion within the crypto community due to concerns about its transparency and potential centralization.

Sun contends that cbBTC lacks a verification system similar to what leading exchanges such as Binance and OKX employ to reassure users that their assets aren’t mixed with those of the exchange. Moreover, the co-founder pointed out that the code for cbBTC has not been thoroughly examined, potentially making it vulnerable to hacking and the theft of funds.

Justin Sun Blasts Coinbase And cbBTC, Says Launch “A Dark Day For Bitcoin”

A major concern, however, is that Coinbase, the issuer directed by the United States government, can order cbBTC to be frozen at any time. Sun said a simple subpoena is needed for the government to seize all coins.  

Given these potential issues, Sun expresses appreciation for innovation but considers cbBTC a concerning development for Bitcoin. The co-founder also likened wrapped Bitcoin to a “central bank version” of Bitcoin, underscoring the threats posed by centralization and the very real possibility that a government could seize a currency designed inherently to resist censorship in its original form.

Coinbase Wants To Drive DeFi

A different voice added their thoughts, pointing out that since multi-signature wallets, by their very nature being centralized, are employed for safeguarding cbBTC, there exists an element of centralization in this process. This observation, responding to Sun’s apprehensions, suggests that tokens like cbBTC and their counterparts could potentially endanger the broader crypto ecosystem due to this centralization concern.

Coinbase has not addressed these criticisms as of now. In a recent statement, they revealed that cbBTC will be issued on the Ethereum platform, adhering to the ERC-20 standard. This wrapped Bitcoin version can also be found on Base, which is an Ethereum layer-2 solution. Their aim with this token is to foster the adoption of Decentralized Finance (DeFi).

Every cbBTC unit circulating is guaranteed a 1-to-1 match with BTC securely stored. However, it’s important to note that this digital token will primarily be available to various users, including residents of Brazil, Australia, and the United States (with the exception of New York).

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2024-09-14 00:41