The listing of the RSC token from ResearchHub on Coinbase has raised questions about a potential conflict of interest due to the connection of the platform’s CEO, Brian Armstrong, with the project, reports The Block.
ResearchHub is described as a “GitHub for scientists.” The platform allows for the publication of research papers, discussion of their results, and rewards in RSC. Armstrong is one of the project’s founders.
In 2023, the startup raised $5 million. The funding round was led by Open Source Software Capital, with Boost VC also investing an additional $2 million in ResearchHub.
RSC Listing on Coinbase and Conflict of Interest
On July 25, 2025, Coinbase announced plans to list the RSC token on the exchange. Users began to jest about why this had not happened sooner.
interesting that brain Armstrong is adding Brian Armstrongs coin so late
— Rich (chill/acc) (@iwantlamboape) July 25, 2025
“Interesting that Brian Armstrong is adding his own coin so late,” wrote user Rich.
Following the listing, the price of the cryptocurrency, launched in 2022, jumped by 15%, according to CoinGecko. At the time of writing, RSC is trading at $0.74 with a market capitalization of $85.3 million.
The cryptocurrency exchange and its founder immediately denied the conflict of interest allegations. Coinbase described ResearchHub as an independent research organization. Armstrong emphasized that he does not review or approve assets for listing on the platform.
Coinbase added $RSC today to its listings roadmap. Since I’m a co-founder of @ResearchHub, I want to share a few details about the precautions put in place years ago to remove any conflicts of interest:
— All assets that get listed on Coinbase go through our Digital Asset… https://t.co/HrteeDQivr
— Brian Armstrong (@brian_armstrong) July 25, 2025
“All assets listed on Coinbase undergo scrutiny by our Digital Asset Support Group (DASG). DASG analyzes each token for legal compliance, regulatory adherence, and cybersecurity. I am not a member and have no vote in listing approvals,” noted the head of the cryptocurrency exchange.
He added that he disclosed his connection to ResearchHub to Coinbase’s board of directors in accordance with standard practice. According to him, the RSC token is created by the ResearchHub Foundation, and the platform uses it to reward the community.
The explanations did not convince users, who continued to discuss the conflict of interest.
Hey @grok isn’t DASG part of coinbase and ultimately reports to coinbase’s CEO? How is this not conflict of interest? Also comment if the above post is more a promotion for $RSC or a clarification of no conflict of interest…
— Kostas Papapaschalis (@KPapapaschalis) July 25, 2025
“Isn’t DASG part of Coinbase and ultimately reports to the CEO? How is this not a conflict of interest? Also, is the above post more a promotion for RSC or a clarification of no conflict of interest?” wrote user Kostas Papapaschalis.
Armstrong Promises Not to Sell RSC
Armstrong also referred to his Medium post from March 2022, in which he publicly promised not to sell RSC for four years.
“If Coinbase or another platform lists the ResearchCoin token, its value is likely to change. Due to limited supply, the coin may exhibit high volatility or reach values that do not reflect its true worth,” he wrote.
The top executive emphasized that the commitment remains in force, with several months remaining until its expiration.
Back in January 2025, the head of Coinbase proposed a new approach to token listings. He noted that 1 million coins are created each week, and evaluating each one individually is “impractical.”