In two separate but significant actions by major cryptocurrency exchanges, Coinbase has announced the suspension of three specific trading pairs, while South Korea's Coinone has initiated the delisting of the MASA token, highlighting ongoing efforts to optimize markets and enforce investor protection standards.
Coinbase's Strategic Trading Pair Suspension
Leading U.S. exchange Coinbase announced on January 5, 2025, that it will suspend order book trading for three pairs: ETH/DAI, FLOW/USDT, and MANA/ETH. The suspension takes effect at 5:00 p.m. UTC on January 7. The exchange clarified this is a pair suspension, not an asset delisting, meaning the underlying assets—Ethereum (ETH), DAI, FLOW, MANA, and Tether (USDT)—remain fully tradable via other pair combinations on the platform.
Users must cancel any existing limit orders on these pairs before the deadline, after which the system will automatically cancel any remaining orders. The exchange's move is seen as a strategic liquidity consolidation, likely driven by low trading volume on these specific pairs. By concentrating liquidity into fewer, more popular pairs like ETH/USDC or ETH/USDT, Coinbase aims to create tighter spreads and a better overall trading experience. This action aligns with industry practices, as exchanges like Binance and Kraken have executed similar pair removals throughout 2024.
Coinone's Delisting of MASA for Investor Protection
In a decisive regulatory enforcement action, major South Korean exchange Coinone announced the definitive delisting of the Masa (MASA) token, scheduled for 6:00 a.m. UTC on February 6, 2025. This follows the project's failure to adequately address critical concerns that initially placed it under an "investment warning" designation.
Coinone cited three core grievances: insufficient follow-up measures related to a security incident on December 5, 2025; a lack of transparency and rationality in the project's procedures for enacting significant changes; and inadequate public disclosures from the MASA team. After evaluating the project's submitted clarification materials, Coinone determined they were insufficient to resolve the issues, concluding that the unresolved risks directly threatened user protection.
MASA holders on Coinone must withdraw their tokens to a private, compatible wallet before the delisting time, after which trading and withdrawals will be permanently disabled on the platform. This action occurs within the context of South Korea's maturing regulatory environment, where authorities like the Financial Services Commission (FSC) expect exchanges to enforce higher standards of due diligence and investor protection.
