Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, has stirred controversy by selling a significant quantity of his shares in the company. As reported by regulatory filings with the SEC, Armstrong sold approximately 29,730 of his Class A Common Stock shares on June 5, 2023. These eight separate transactions netted the CEO over $1.7 million, with each share priced at an average of $60.3.
CoinBase CEO Brian Armstrong dumped 29,730 shares on June 5th, just a day before the SEC lawsuit was made public, and shares tanked 20%.
This should be illegal. 🤦♂️
— WhaleWire (@WhaleWire) June 8, 2023
SEC Action Spurs Market Reaction
Intriguingly, this move occurred a mere two days prior to the SEC launching a lawsuit against Coinbase. Consequently, the company’s share price took a dramatic dive, falling by 20%. The timing of Armstrong’s decision to offload a significant portion of his shares has sparked questioning within the cryptocurrency community, as it saved him from this subsequent financial hit.
Twitter Sparks Speculation
Eleanor Terrett, a Fox Business journalist, jumped into the Twitter conversation, offering her perspective on Armstrong’s actions. She suggested that this sell-off may not be as dubious as it initially appears. Terrett mentioned that the shares Armstrong sold were actually part of a pre-planned stock sale initiated in August 2022.
According to the @SECGov‘s filings database this was part of a pre-planned stock sale initiated in August 2022 that was intended to comply with Rule 10b5-1(c).
Setting a sale to happen on the 1st Monday of the month/start of the 3rd fiscal quarter, I’m told, isn’t too unusual. https://t.co/iZBrsqhet9— Eleanor Terrett (@EleanorTerrett) June 8, 2023
Unpacking Executive Stock Sale Trends
Notably, Terrett pointed out a prevalent trend among executives to schedule such sales either on the first Monday of the month or at the start of the third fiscal quarter. This detail suggests that Armstrong’s stock sale may align more with standard practice rather than market manipulation.
Other Executives Follow Suit
Interestingly, this news comes on the heels of several other top executives at Coinbase offloading shares worth over $2.7 million in a single day. Key figures included Paul Grewal, the Chief Legal Officer, Brock Lawrence, the Chief People Officer, CFO Haas Alesia, and company President Choi Emilie. Their combined actions contribute to the debate around the timing and motivations of such transactions.
In the end, the timing of Armstrong’s significant stock sale, just before an enforcement action by the SEC, has inevitably ignited speculation. Nevertheless, as Terrett suggests, this might be more about following typical executive trends than intentionally avoiding financial losses. The full truth, as always, may reside somewhere in between.
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