Paul Grewal (폴 그레월), Coinbase’s chief legal officer, will step down at the end of this month and shift to an advisory role.

On July 9, blockchain media outlet Cointelegraph reported that Grewal will take on an advisory role at the exchange from July 31 and that Coinbase’s legal organisation will be reshaped under a new structure.

Grewal has served as Coinbase chief legal officer since 2020. He disclosed his plan to step down in posts on X, formerly Twitter, and LinkedIn. He said that after he leaves at the end of this month, legal vice president Molly Abraham (몰리 에이브러햄) and Ryan VanGrack (라이언 밴그래크) will take on roles overseeing legal counsel and serving as vice chair, respectively. Abraham said she would take the helm of the legal team.

Grewal’s next move has not yet been detailed. He said he would share more about his new role at an appropriate time and plans to continue working with the board of Coinbase National Trust Company.

The appointment goes beyond a simple internal title change and is linked to the core of the U.S. crypto regulatory response. The Coinbase chief legal officer is seen as a post that can have a significant impact on policy and regulatory discussions on crypto in the United States. During his tenure, Grewal led the legal team responding to an enforcement action brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2023. That lawsuit was later dismissed under the Trump administration.

Coinbase is one of the major backers of Fairshake, a political action committee that supports pro-crypto politicians. Chief Executive Brian Armstrong (브라이언 암스트롱) has also met with U.S. President Donald Trump and has urged Congress to pass crypto-related legislation.

In this situation, the role of the successor legal leadership may grow. Coinbase executives have repeatedly urged Congress to pass the Clarity bill, a digital asset market clarity measure. The bill is expected to include provisions that would shift a significant portion of digital asset oversight authority from the SEC to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The U.S. Senate is currently in recess for a district work period, and lawmakers may return next week and proceed with a vote on the bill. As a result, Coinbase’s legal leadership change could extend beyond an internal appointment and become a shift that coincides with a reorganisation of the U.S. crypto regulatory framework.

The appointment comes at a time when a change in leadership at Coinbase’s legal organisation coincides with shifts in the U.S. regulatory environment. It shows that the successor structure has become more important as the company pursues legal and legislative responses at the same time.

After 6 years I’m leaving @Coinbase. I’ll be transitioning to an advisory role at the end of the month and continue my service on the Board of Coinbase National Trust Company. I will be a Coinbase ally for life and am grateful to @brian_armstrong, @emilemc and the Coinbase board…