Memecoins FLOKI, TURBO, and GIGA Will Be Blocked From Trading on Coinbase in New York

This change will take effect on April 14, 2025, at 2 PM ET. Coinbase cited a routine review, but speculation surrounds potential legal reasons.

Coinbase will block trading activity in New York for FLOKI, TURBO, and GIGA tokens beginning on April 14 at 2 PM ET. The crypto market didn’t panic over the news. Instead, after Coinbase’s announcement, prices for these tokens went up.

Coinbase is removing these tokens in NY. But why?

According to Coinbase, the decision comes as part of its standard review process.

We regularly monitor the assets on our exchange to ensure they meet our listing standards. Based on recent reviews, we will suspend trading for FLOKI (FLOKI), Turbo (TURBO), and Gigachad (GIGA) in New York only on April 14, 2025, on or around 2 PM ET.

— Coinbase Assets 🛡️ (@CoinbaseAssets) March 12, 2025

Coinbase provided only that announcement, while specialized personnel predicted possible legal repercussions. Ariel Givener relates the current New York legal dispute to this situation. As a company, they have not released an official communication about this matter.

The Timing Is Interesting

Coinbase introduced new tokens at a time that supports its ongoing project expansion. In November 2024, FLOKI became listed on Coinbase, leading to a five-month price high. The Coinbase integration of TURBO and GIGA in December 2024 led to respective price rises of 15% and 37% in the market. The “Coinbase Effect” boosts token prices upon listing but causes them to cool down later.

Assets added to the roadmap today: Gigachad (GIGA) and Turbo (TURBO)https://t.co/rRB9d3hSr2— Coinbase Assets 🛡️ (@CoinbaseAssets) December 4, 2024

Memecoins Are Changing The Crypto Game

Memecoins, once seen as fun projects, have become serious business. The Solana-based platform Pump.fun generated 8.5 million meme tokens after starting operations in January 2024. The SEC says memecoins aren’t securities as they lack passive income or ownership. This means they fall outside the SEC’s regulatory control—at least for now.

🇺🇸 The SEC declares meme coins are not considered securities.

SEC claims meme coins “do not involve the offer and sale of securities under the federal securities laws.”https://t.co/V1qm871E7I

— Cointelegraph (@Cointelegraph) February 27, 2025

What’s Next?

All New York Coinbase users will no longer have access to the tokens, but other locations can continue their usual trading. According to MEXC COO Tracy Jin, memecoins will upgrade the DeFi space, yet investors need to study these tokens and prepare for unpredictable market conditions.

I believe memecoins actually cleared the way for fundamentals to take center stage in crypto.

Over the last year, speculative capital had a clear destination: memecoins—highly liquid, retail-driven, and fueled by viral narratives. But this had an unintended effect: it pushed…— maria 🐸 (@MariaShen) March 13, 2025

Coinbase made a recent move that would reshape the crypto market, proving it is constantly evolving. The rising level of public interest in cryptocurrencies leads the world to witness their increasing popularity. The market retains its high level of appeal despite a suspension that has undisclosed reasons for occurrence.