ResearchCoin Soars 15% After Coinbase Listing Announcement

ResearchCoin (RSC) surged 15% following Coinbase’s announcement that it would list the token on its Ethereum Layer 2 Base network. The move triggered a sharp price increase, with RSC trading at a peak of $0.77 before retreating slightly to $0.76 as of Thursday morning [1]. The price jump marked a 99% increase from July 25, when Coinbase first revealed RSC would be added to its listing roadmap [1]. Trading is scheduled to begin on Coinbase at 9 a.m. PT on Thursday, contingent on liquidity conditions being met [1].

ResearchCoin is the native governance and rewards token of the ResearchHub platform, co-founded in 2019 by Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, and scientist Patrick Joyce. The platform incentivizes scientific contributions by rewarding content creators with RSC, which users can also deploy to compensate others for research-related tasks, including peer reviews and feedback. The project is positioned as a community-driven alternative to traditional academic publishing, which it argues is often restricted by paywalls [1].

Despite the listing, Coinbase explicitly stated it is not affiliated with ResearchHub, emphasizing that Armstrong’s role with the project is personal and separate from his position at the exchange. “ResearchCoin is an independent research organization and not affiliated with Coinbase,” the exchange wrote on X. “Brian Armstrong is not a reviewing or approving member of the Digital Asset Support Group (DASG), which evaluates all assets for listing,” Coinbase further clarified [1]. Armstrong has no formal role in asset approvals and is not involved in the decision-making process regarding which tokens are listed [1].

Armstrong, who co-founded ResearchHub, disclosed his stake in the project to the Coinbase board in accordance with company policy. He also reiterated a public commitment made in 2022 not to sell his RSC holdings for at least four years. However, that period will expire in October 2025, raising questions about future market dynamics [1].

The listing has drawn scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest, with some community members questioning the independence of the DASG. “Isn’t the DASG part of Coinbase and ultimately reports to its CEO? How is this not a conflict of interest?” one user asked on social media [1]. Despite Coinbase’s efforts to maintain transparency, concerns persist, particularly given Armstrong’s prominent role in both organizations.

Prior to the Coinbase listing, RSC was available on exchanges such as Gate, CoinEX, and Uniswap, but Coinbase’s entry as a Tier 1 centralized exchange marks a significant milestone in the token’s liquidity and visibility [1]. ResearchHub has raised a total of $7 million in funding to date, with key backers including Open Source Software Capital, Y Combinator’s Garry Tan, and Vercel’s Guillermo Rauch [1].

Coinbase’s decision to list RSC reflects its ongoing strategy to incorporate tokens with clear use cases and community-driven governance. Armstrong has previously suggested that the exchange’s current model—reviewing and approving assets individually—is no longer scalable in a rapidly growing crypto ecosystem [1]. In January 2025, he argued that the listing process should shift from an allowlist to a blocklist, allowing market forces and automated data tools to help users identify high-quality assets [1].

As RSC prepares for its Coinbase debut, the market will be closely watching how the token performs and whether the concerns over potential conflicts of interest affect investor sentiment. The listing also highlights the broader trend of crypto platforms seeking to align with innovative, community-driven projects to foster long-term value creation [1].

Source: [1] The Block - [https://www.theblock.co/post/365011/coinbase-lists-researchcoin-price-jump-brian-armstrong](https://www.theblock.co/post/365011/coinbase-lists-researchcoin-price-jump-brian-armstrong)