Coinbase Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal to Step Down After Six Years

Paul Grewal, chief legal officer of Coinbase, will step down from his role after nearly six years with the exchange, according to a securities filing and reporting from The Information. Grewal notified the company of his resignation on July 8, 2026, and will officially depart the position on July 31, 2026.

Grewal’s tenure covered the company’s most significant regulatory engagements in the United States. He directed Coinbase’s defense during a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit filed in June 2023, which alleged the exchange operated as an unregistered securities intermediary and offered unregistered securities through its staking-as-a-service program.

Coinbase contested the claims, maintaining that regulators had previously approved its public listing without challenging its operational model. The SEC dismissed the lawsuit in 2025, coinciding with a broader shift in U.S. enforcement posture. Grewal also supported industry legislative drafting that saw the Clarity Act cryptocurrency framework advance out of a Senate committee in May.

The leadership change will restructure Coinbase’s legal and corporate-affairs chain of command. Molly Abraham, currently vice president of legal, will be promoted to general counsel. Ryan VanGrack will move into a newly established role as vice chairman and head of corporate affairs, while chief policy officer Faryar Shirzad will continue directing the company’s global policy operations.

Available disclosures indicate the transition is already underway. Grewal will remain engaged through a three-month advisory agreement that extends to October 2026 and will keep his seat on the board of Coinbase National Trust Company. The company has formalized the succession plan internally, with legal oversight now shifting to Abraham as the advisory period runs its course.