Proposed Settlement Leidel v Coinbase (Cryptsy)

Case 9:16-cv-81992-KAM Document 143 Entered on FLSD Docket 11/27/2019 Page 1 of 19
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
Civil Action No. 9:16-cv-81992-MARRA
BRANDON LEIDEL, individually,

and on behalf of all others similarly situated,
Plaintiff,
v.
COINBASE, INC., a Delaware corporation

d/b/a, Global Digital Asset Exchange (GDAX),
Defendant.
________________________________________________/
PLAINTIFF’S UNOPPOSED MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY APPROVAL

OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT, CONDITIONAL CERTIFICATION OF
THE SETTLEMENT CLASS, APPOINTMENT OF PLAINTIFF’S COUNSEL
AS CLASS COUNSEL, APPROVAL OF NOTICE TO CLASS MEMBERS,
AND SCHEDULING OF A FINAL APPROVAL HEARING
ACTIVE/101549008.2
Plaintiff (“Class Representative”) hereby moves this Court for: (1) preliminary approval
of the settlement of this class action; (2) certification of the class for settlement purposes; (3)
approval of the form and manner of notice to putative Class Members of the settlement; and (4)
the scheduling of a hearing (the “Settlement Hearing”) on final approval of the Settlement.
INTRODUCTION
Class Representative has reached an agreement to settle this Class Action against
Defendant, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “Settlement”). This Court
previously certified a virtually identical class that asserted claims based on the same underlying
conduct at issue here in the matter styled Leidel, et al. v. Project Investors, Inc. d/b/a CRYPTSY,
Paul Vernon, and Lorie Ann Nettles, Case No. 9:16-cv-80060-MARRA (the “Cryptsy Case”).
The Cryptsy Case concerned the conduct of Paul Vernon and Cryptsy, a cryptocurrency
exchange, in unlawfully converting for their own use the cryptocurrency of the Cryptsy Class.
The instant related class action asserts claims on behalf of essentially the same Class against
Defendant Coinbase, a California headquartered cryptocurrency exchange, based on the
allegation that Defendant unlawfully aided and abetted that conversion by allowing Cryptsy and
Vernon to have accounts on the Coinbase platform. 1
This Court granted preliminary and final approval to the class action settlement in the
Cryptsy Case. Cryptsy Case at D.E. 100 and 118. The instant proposed Settlement has resulted in
additional gross recovery of $962,500 for the Class. Notably, in the Cryptsy Case, the total value
of the Class Members’ valid claims (i.e., the full amount of their losses as of November 1, 2015,
excluding interest), is $2,260,644.86. In the Cryptsy Case Settlement $796,000 was paid to class
1
The parties’ positions on the merits of their respective claims and defenses, both as to
class certification and the legal claims asserted by Plaintiff and the Class, are set forth in detail in
the parties’ respective motions for class certification and summary judgment, both of which are
fully briefed and pending before this Court.
ACTIVE/101549008.2 1
members (i.e., this is the net amount paid to Class Members who submitted valid and approved
claims after the deduction of attorney’s fees and costs), leaving a balance of approximately
$1,462,744.13. This recovery was an excellent result for a class action settlement. The additional
monies obtained in the instant settlement will further serve to increase the recovery of the
victims of Cryptsy and Paul Vernon.
The Settlement, if approved, will resolve all claims asserted against Defendant in the
Class Action.
BACKGROUND
1. On January 13, 2016, Plaintiff Leidel (and others) filed the Cryptsy Case.
CRYPTSY CASE. This Court appointed James D. Sallah as Receiver. Cryptsy Case, D.E. 33.
Although unopposed, this Court certified the Class (id. at D.E. 59 and 65).
2. Class Counsel (the same counsel here) and the Receiver reached a settlement
with the participating defendants in the Cryptsy Case, which this Court approved. Cryptsy Case,
D.E. 118. In total, 681 Class Members submitted approved claims in the Cryptsy Case. See
Cryptsy Case, D.E. 135 at ¶3.
3. Plaintiff and the Class also obtained a judgment against VERNON awarding the
Class at least some of the very bitcoin that VERNON stole from them. Id. at D.E. 123, Exh.
AA. However, the judgment is presently uncollectible, because VERNON fled to China and
refuses to provide the “keys” necessary to access the bitcoin. Bitcoin by its very nature cannot
be accessed or otherwise used, transferred or converted to fiat currency without such keys.
4. On December 13, 2016, Plaintiff filed the instant class action lawsuit against
COINBASE, alleging that COINBASE aided and abetted the CRYPTSY Defendants in their
breach of fiduciary duty and conversion of the Class’ cryptocurrencies and were otherwise
ACTIVE/101549008.2 2
negligent and unjustly enriched by their conduct. D.E. 1
5. The Parties conducted extensive discovery in the Action during a period of more
than a year, including, but not limited to, the exchange and review of more than 125,000 pages of
documents, propounding and responding to 34 interrogatories, the taking of 16 depositions in
various locations across the country (including of the Plaintiff, representatives of Coinbase,
former Cryptsy employees, the Cryptsy Receiver, and individuals who assisted the Receiver),
and the production and exchange of expert reports.
6. The Parties also engaged in substantial motion practice in the Action, including a
motion to compel arbitration (denied by the District Court and affirmed on appeal), motions to
compel, a motion for class certification (fully briefed and awaiting decision at the time of this
Settlement Agreement), and a motion for summary judgment (also fully briefed and awaiting
decision at the time of this Settlement Agreement)
7. On September 5, 2019, Class Representative and Defendant attended mediation
before Judge Howard Tescher (ret.), which was followed by more than four additional weeks of
phone conferences between and among the mediator and counsel, the result of which is the
instant proposed Settlement. 2 Judge Tescher is a well-respected retired state court judge and
mediator with over 10 years of experience mediating complex commercial cases, many involving
class actions, financial services, banking and securities. Notably, Judge Tescher also mediated
the Cryptsy Case Settlement.
8. The Settlement was reached at a time when the Parties understood the strengths
and weaknesses of their respective positions, and only after the Class Representative and
2
The parties reached a settlement in principal on or about October 11, 2019, as noted in
Plaintiff’s Notice of Settlement. D.E. 139. The parties’ completed the negotiation of the final
terms and conditions, and related settlement documents, on November 25, 2019.
ACTIVE/101549008.2 3
Defendant engaged in significant pre-suit discovery and litigation, as explained above.
9. Moreover, as noted above, the proposed Settlement is the result of extensive
arm’s length negotiations through mediation and directly between the parties.
10. The Settlement includes a Common Fund of $962,500.00. Notably, Class
Members who submitted a valid and paid claim in the Cryptsy Case Settlement will not be
required to submit claims in the instant settlement. Such Class Member’s claims from the
Cryptsy Case will be deemed received and valid in the instant case.
11. Class Representative and Class Counsel believe the proposed Settlement is an
excellent result that is in the best interests of the Class, providing an immediate benefit to the
Class. Here, the principal wrongdoer, Vernon, has fled the country, is presently believed to be
residing in the People’s Republic of China, and is believed to have hidden additional assets
outside the United States. Accordingly, the Settlement must be considered in the context of the
risk that protracted and costly litigation may be required that may result in a lesser recovery or
no recovery at all.
12. At the Settlement Hearing, Class Representative will submit detailed papers
supporting the proposed Settlement, and will ask the Court to determine whether the Settlement
is fair, reasonable and adequate. At this time, however, Class Representative requests that the
Court certify the settlement class and grant preliminary approval of the Settlement so that notice
may be provided to the Class.
ARGUMENT
I. The Settlement Class Satisfies the Requirements of Rule 23
“Settlement agreements are highly favored in the law and will be upheld whenever
possible because they are a means of amicably resolving doubts and uncertainties and preventing
ACTIVE/101549008.2 4
lawsuits.” In re Nissan Motor Corp. Antitrust Litiq., 552 F.2d 1088, 1105 (5th Cir.1977). Before
a settlement may be approved, however, a number of prerequisites must be established. First, the
Court must certify the settlement class. Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(c). Second, the Court must determine
preliminarily whether the settlement is fair and adequate. See In re Checking Account Overdraft
Litiq., No. 09–MD–02036–JLK, 2011 WL 5873389, at *6 (S.D. Fla. Nov. 22, 2011);
Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(e)(2), (e)(1).
Pursuant to Rule 23(a) and (b)(3), Fed.R.Civ.P., Plaintiff seeks certification of a class
defined as follows:
All Cryptsy account owners who held bitcoin, other digital currencies or
cryptocurrencies, or any other asset on the Cryptsy platform as of November 1,
2015 to the present. Excluded from the Class are: (1) employees of Cryptsy,
including its shareholders, officers and directors and members of their immediate
families; (2) employees of COINBASE, including its shareholders, officers and
directors and members of their immediate families; any judge to whom this action
is assigned and the judge’s immediate family; (3) persons who timely and validly
opt to exclude themselves from the Class; and (4) any person or entity that opened
an account at Cryptsy after October 4, 2015, which is the last date on which any
of the Cryptsy used any of the accounts maintained on the Coinbase platform to
exchange Bitcoin for U.S. dollars
This class definition mirrors the class certified by the Court in the Cryptsy Case, with the
exception that it excludes persons who opened an account at Cryptsy after the time that Coinbase
closed Cryptsy’s accounts at Coinbase. Plaintiff’s Counsel believes that few, if any, persons,
who were part of the Cryptsy Class will be excluded from the instant Class as a result of this
limitation because Cryptsy effectively shut down on, or shortly after, November 1, 2015.
To certify a class for settlement purposes the Court must determine whether the
prescriptions of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 are satisfied. See, e.g., Morefield v.
NoteWorld, LLC, 2012 WL 1355573, at *2 (S.D. Ga. April 18, 2012). Specifically, certification
requires that each of the four factors set out in Rule 23(a) are satisfied, along with at least one of
ACTIVE/101549008.2 5
the conditions under Rule 23(b). See id. Here, the settlement class satisfies the requisite Rule 23
factors. Thus, the Court should certify the settlement class.
This Court previously granted class certification for a virtually identical Class in the
Cryptsy Case. Cryptsy Case, D.E. 65 To the extent not specifically detailed below, Plaintiff
incorporates by reference all of the arguments and evidence submitted in his Motion for Class
Certification. To that end, all references to exhibits in this Section I of the instant motion refer to
exhibits in Plaintiff’s Motion for Class Certification.
A. Numerosity.
The Class satisfies Rule 23(a)(1), which requires the class to be so numerous that joinder
of individual class members is impracticable. The general rule is that a class of at least 40
persons satisfies the numerosity requirement, and depending upon the circumstances as few as 22
class members may be sufficient. Hirsch v. Jupiter Golf Club, Inc., No. 13-80456, 2015 WL
2254471, *2 (S.D. Fla. 2016)(citation omitted); Collins v. Erin Capital Mgmt., LLC, 290 F.R.D.
689, 694 (S.D. Fla. 2013). On April 1, 2016, VERNON deleted the data in the CRYPTSY
database, thereby destroying the evidence of the precise number of Class Members in the
Cryptsy Case or the instant case. E.g., Receiver Report at pgs. 3-5, Exh. B, and Mullesch Dec. at
pgs.7-8, Exh. G. Plaintiff, however, has compiled the following evidence which more than
satisfies the numerosity requirement (and the ascertainability requirement, as detailed above).
First, Six Hundred Eighty-One (681) Class Members submitted approved Claims in the
CRYPTSY CASE based on the procedures and standards approved by this Court to establish
membership in the Class. Exh. Z.
Second, One Hundred Seven (107) CRYPTSY account holders submitted sworn
declarations in support of the class certification motion in the CRYPTSY CASE that establish
their membership in the instant Class. Of these Class Member declarations:
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i. 72 of the declarations include screen shots showing the Class Members’ holdings
at CRYPTSY. Exh. BB1.1-BB1.6.
ii. 20 of the declarations are based upon testimony that such persons are CRYPTSY
account holders who were unable to capture such information prior to VERNON
and CRYPTSY shutting down CRYPSTY’s systems but possess other evidence
that establishes their membership in the Class, such as emails and other records
received from CRYPTSY. Exh. BB2.1-BB2.4; and
iii. 15 submitted declarations attesting to their membership in the CRYPTSY Class,
which is the same as the instant Class. Exh. BB3.
Third, Court-appointed Receiver James Sallah, through his investigation in the
CRYPTSY CASE, which included forensic examination of CRYPTSY’s computer systems and
interviews with former CRYPTSY employees, determined that tens of thousands of CRYPTSY
account holders are unable to access their cryptocurrencies due to CRYPTSY and VERNON’s
actions. Sallah Dec. at ¶¶3 and 7, Exh. CC.
Fourth, VERNON testified on December 29, 2015, in his divorce proceeding, that as of
that date CRYPTSY had more than 50,000 users with cryptocurrency deposits at CRYPTSY. See
VERNON Deposition Transcript, dated 12/29/15 at p. 102, lines 7-25, Exh. DD.
Fifth, a February 12, 2014, CRYPTSY internal email lists all CRYPTSY account holders
by state. See CRYPTSY Employee Stacey West Taylor Email, Exh. EE. The list identifies a total
of 55,303 account holders, including 8659 in California and 3,083 in Florida alone. Id.
Finally, COINBASE Senior Investigator Paul Jabaay agreed that during the class period
CRYPTSY had at least a few thousand users. Jabaay at p. 149, line 18- p. 150, line 10, Exh. J.
ACTIVE/101549008.2 7
Thus, Plaintiff has presented evidence that the Class includes at least 114 class members
and, according to CRYPTSY and VERNON, at least 50,000 persons. See Diakos v. HSS Sys.,
LLC, No. 14-61784, 2015 WL 5921585, *4 (S.D. Fla. September 29, 2015)(The sheer number of
class members and their geographic diversity makes joinder of individual class members
impracticable, if not impossible). At either end of this spectrum, or anywhere in between,
Plaintiff has satisfied the numerosity requirement.
B. Commonality.
The commonality requirement is met if there is at least one question of law or fact
common to the members of the Class. Fed. R. Civ. P. 23(a)(2). As the Supreme Court explained,
commonality means that the class members “have suffered the same injury” that is “capable of
class-wide resolution.” Wal–Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, 564 U.S. 338, 351 (2011). “Generally,
the commonality requirement is met if the allegations involve a common course of conduct by
the defendant.” Palm Beach Golf Ctr.-Boca, Inc. v. Sarris, 311 F.R.D. 688, 695 (S.D. Fla. 2015).
The Rule 23(a) requirement of commonality is a “low hurdle,” and even a single common
question can be sufficient to satisfy this element. Diakos, 2015 WL 5921585 at *4. The primary
issue in such an analysis is whether there are issues in the case that are “susceptible to class-wide
proof.” Murray v. Auslander, 244 F.3d 807, 811 (11th Cir. 2001); Sarris, 311 F.R.D. at 695. The
commonality requirement is met here because Plaintiff’s and the Class’ claims all center on
whether Defendant aided and abetted Vernon and Cryptsy by allowing them to maintain
accounts at Coinbase through which Vernon and Cryptsy converted into U.S. Dollars the bitcoin
they converted from the Class.
ACTIVE/101549008.2 8
C. Typicality.
Rule 23(a)(3)’s typicality requirement ensures that the class representative has the same
interests as the other members of the class. That is, “[t]ypicality measures whether a sufficient
nexus exists between the claims of the named representatives and those of the class at large.”
Busby, 513 F.3d at 1322; see also Kornberg v. Carnival Cruise Lines, Inc., 741 F.2d 1332, 1337
(11th Cir. 1984). Typicality is met here, as Plaintiff and the Class assert precisely the same
claims, which arise from the same course of COINBASE’s alleged unfair and unlawful conduct;
disregard of its duty to investigate suspicious activities under U.S. anti-money laundering rules
for its own profit and benefit. Since Plaintiff seeks to prove that COINBASE “committed the
same unlawful acts in the same method against an entire class . . . [which means that] all
members of this class have identical claims,” the typicality requirement is satisfied. Kennedy v.
Tallant, 710 F.2d 711, 717 (11th Cir. 1983).
D. Adequacy.
Adequacy under Rule 23(a)(4) relates to: (1) whether the proposed class representative
has interests antagonistic to the settlement class; and (2) whether the proposed class counsel have
the competence to undertake the litigation at issue. See Fabricant, 202 F.R.D. at 314. This Court
has already found that the proposed Class Representative and proposed Class Counsel are
adequate in the Cryptsy Case and, as set forth above, Plaintiff incorporates by reference the
arguments set forth in his Motion for Class Certification. Accordingly, the adequacy of
representation requirement is satisfied.
E. Predominance and Superiority.
Plaintiff also satisfies the requirements of Rule 23(b)(3), which requires that common
questions of law or fact predominate over individual questions, and that class action treatment is
ACTIVE/101549008.2 9
superior to other available methods of adjudication. As set forth below, this action meets the
criteria set forth in Rule 23(b)(3).
1. Predominance
Common questions of law or fact predominate over individual questions when the issues
in the class action are subject to generalized proof that applies to the case as a whole. E.g.,
Rutstein v. Avis Rent-A-Car Sys., 211 F.3d 1228, 1233 (11th Cir. 2000). Thus, in deciding
whether common questions predominate under Rule 23(b)(3), the focus is generally on whether
there are common liability issues that may be resolved on a class-wide basis. See, e.g., Klay v.
Humana, 382 F.3d 1241, 1269 (11th Cir. 2004).
Ultimately, the question of whether COINBASE is liable for failing to perform
appropriate due diligence in regard to CRYPTSY and VERNON is a common and predominant
question that could be resolved on a class-wide basis. The predominant issue here for Plaintiff
and the proposed Class is whether COINBASE failed to properly monitor its CRYPTSY and
VERNON customer accounts that held CRYPTSY investors’ assets and ignored its duty to
investigate suspicious activities under U.S. anti-money laundering rules.
Plaintiff maintains that the only issue on which Class Members differ is the amount of
their damages. However, the law is well settled that differences in the calculation of damages are
not a bar to finding common issues predominate. E.g., Brown v. Electrolux Home Prods., Inc., 26
Fla. L. Weekly Fed. C 144, 2016 WL 1085517 *9 (11th Cir. March 21, 2016). For these reasons,
the common issues to be resolved in this matter that apply to all class members predominate over
any individualized questions that may arise.
ACTIVE/101549008.2 10
2. A Class Action Is Superior to Other Available Methods of Adjudicating the

Issues Raised
Rule 23(b)(3) lists four factors that the Court should consider in evaluating whether a
class action is superior to other methods for adjudicating this action: (A) the class members’
interests in individually controlling the prosecution or defense of separate actions; (B) the extent
and nature of any litigation concerning the controversy already commenced by or against class
members; (C) the desirability or undesirability of concentrating the litigation of the claims in the
particular forum; and (D) the likely difficulties in managing a class action. Fed. R. Civ. P.
23(b)(3)(A)-(D). “[T]he improbability that large numbers of class members would possess the
initiative to litigate individually” further compels a finding of superiority. Fabricant v. Sears
Roebuck & Co., 202 F.R.D. 310, 318 (S.D. Fla. 2001); See also, Amchem, 521 U.S. at 617
(same); Phillips Petroleum Co. v. Shutts, 472 U.S. 797, 809 (1985) (same).
At the outset, Class Counsel are unaware of any other action was ever brought against
Cryptsy, Vernon or Coinbase arising out of or related to the operations of Defendant Cryptsy,
Cryptsy’s relationship with Coinbase, or any other fact at issue in this case. For this reason, as set
forth below, the Rule 23(b)(3) “superiority” factors weigh heavily in favor of class certification.
First, Defendant would necessarily gain an unconscionable advantage if it were allowed
to overwhelm the limited resources of each individual Class member with superior financial and
legal resources. Second, the costs of individual suits could unreasonably consume the amounts
that would be recovered. For example, numerous Class Members have very small claims, having
been denied access to virtual currency valued at less than $500. Third, proof of a common course
of conduct to which Plaintiff was exposed is representative of that experienced by the Class and
will establish the right of each member of the Class to recover on the cause of action alleged.
Finally, individual actions – to the extent any are filed - would create a risk of
ACTIVE/101549008.2 11
inconsistent results and would be unnecessary and duplicative of this litigation. It is neither
economically feasible, nor judicially efficient, for the hundreds, if not more than a thousand,
Class members to pursue their claims against Defendant on an individual basis. There simply is
no other practical method of adjudicating these claims.
In sum, all of Rule 23’s requirements are met for the purposes of certifying a settlement
class. Thus, the Court should preliminarily certify the settlement class.
II. THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT WARRANTS PRELIMINARY

APPROVAL
The settlement of complex class action litigation is favored by public policy and strongly
encouraged. See Behrens v. Wometco Enters., Inc., 118 F.R.D. 534, 538 (S.D. Fla. 1988), aff'd,
899 F.2d 21 (11th Cir. 1990) (there is a “strong judicial policy that favors settlements.”); see also
Ass'n for Disabled Ams., Inc. v. Amoco Oil Co., 211 F.R.D. 457, 466 (S.D. Fla. 2002)
(determining that “[t]here is an overriding public interest in favor of settlement, particularly in
class actions that have the well-deserved reputation as being most complex.”) (quoting Cotton v.
Hinton, 559 F.2d 1326, 1331 (5th Cir. 1977)). “Determining the fairness of the settlement is left
to the sound discretion of the trial court....” See Bennett v. Behring Corp., 737 F.2d 982, 986
(11th Cir. 1984). The Court’s exercise of discretion in this regard should be “informed by the
strong judicial policy favoring settlement as well as by the realization that compromise is the
essence of settlement.” Perez v. Asurion Corp., 501 F. Supp. 2d 1360, 1379 (S.D. Fla. 2007).
The law has long been settled in this Circuit that, “[i]n determining whether to approve a
proposed [class action] settlement, the cardinal rule is that the district court must find that the
settlement is fair, adequate and reasonable and is not the product of collusion between the
parties.” Id. at 1379 (citing Cotton, 559 F.2d at 1330).
Judicial review of a proposed class action settlement is a two-step process: preliminary
ACTIVE/101549008.2 12
approval and a subsequent fairness hearing. Smith v. Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., No. 09-60646, 2010
WL 2401149, at *2 (S.D. Fla. June 15, 2010). During this first-step, a court must consider
whether the settlement warrants preliminary approval, providing notice to the proposed class and
the scheduling of a final settlement hearing. Id. In the second-step, after notice of the proposed
settlement has been provided to the class and a hearing has been held to consider the fairness and
adequacy of the proposed settlement, the court considers whether the settlement warrants “final
approval.” Id. at 6. 3
Preliminary approval is appropriate where the proposed settlement is the result of the
parties' good faith negotiations, there are no obvious deficiencies and the settlement falls within
the range of reason. Almanzar v. Select Portfolio Servicing, Inc., Case No. 14-22586-FAM, 2015
WL 10857401 *1 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 15, 2015). At the preliminary-approval step, the Court is
required to “make a preliminary determination on the fairness, reasonableness, and adequacy of
the settlement terms.” See Manual for Complex Litigation (Fourth) § 21.632 (2004). A proposed
settlement should be preliminarily approved if it “is ‘within the range of possible approval’ or, in
other words, [if] there is ‘probable cause’ to notify the class of the proposed settlement.” Fresco
v. Auto Data Direct, Inc., No. 03-61063, 2007 WL 2330895, at *4 (S.D. Fla. May 14, 2007).
The terms of the proposed Settlement here are clearly “within the range of
reasonableness.” In re Checking Account Overdraft Lit., 275 F.R.D. 654, 661 (S.D. Fla. 2011).
Although Class Representative and Class Counsel believe that the claims asserted in the
Litigation against Defendant are meritorious, continued litigation poses the real risk that,
3
A final approval determination is based on an analysis of six factors established in Bennett v.
Behring Corp., 737 F.2d 982, 986 (11th Cir.1984). The Bennett factors are: 1) the likelihood of
success at trial; (2) the range of possible recovery; (3) the point on or below the range of possible
recovery at which a settlement is fair, adequate and reasonable; (4) the complexity, expense and
duration of litigation; (5) the substance and amount of opposition to the settlement; and (6) the
stage of proceedings at which the settlement was achieved. See Id. at 986.
ACTIVE/101549008.2 13
following contested motions, a trial or further appeals, a lesser recovery (or no recovery at all)
would result.
The Settlement adds $962,500 to the Settlement Fund established and distributed to the
Class in the Cryptsy Case.
As it relates to attorney’s fees, Class Counsel have committed that their fee application
will not exceed 33.33% of the Common Fund, which is the same percentage approved by this
Court in the Cryptsy Case.
Therefore, the Settlement, when viewed in the context of these risks and the uncertainties
involved with any litigation, makes the Settlement a strong result for the Class. The Settlement
was negotiated at arm’s length, by counsels who are well-informed of the issues in the Litigation,
and are experienced in complex securities litigation.
Moreover, the Settlement was achieved with the assistance of Howard Tescher, an
experienced mediator. These factors further support approval of the Settlement. See D’Amato v.
Deutsche Bank, 236 F.3d 78, 85 (2d Cir. 2001) (a “mediator’s involvement in . . . settlement
negotiations helps to ensure that the proceedings were free of collusion and undue pressure”).
Accordingly, Class Representatives respectfully submit that the Court should preliminarily
approve the Settlement.
III. THE COURT SHOULD APPROVE THE PROPOSED NOTICE AND

PROOF OF CLAIM FORM FOR THE NETTLES AND RIDGEWOOD
SETTLEMENT
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(e) provides that “notice of the proposed dismissal or
compromise . . . shall be given to all members of the class in such manner as the court directs.”
The purpose of notice is to “afford members of the class due process which, in the context of the
Rule 23(b)(3) class action, guarantees them the opportunity to be excluded from the class action
ACTIVE/101549008.2 14
and not be bound by any subsequent judgment.” Peters v. Nat’l R.R. Passenger Corp., 966 F.2d
1483, 1486 (D.C. Cir. 1992) (citing Eisen v. Carlisle & Jacquelin, 417 U.S. 156, 173-74 (1974)).
Accordingly, the notice provided to the settlement class must fairly inform class members
of the terms of the proposed settlement and their options. See Mullane v. Cent. Hanover Bank &
Trust Co., 339 U.S. 306, 314-15 (1950); Twigg v. Sears Roebuck & Co., 153 F.3d 1222, 1226
(11th Cir. 1998). The Notice need provide “the best notice practicable under the circumstances,
including individual notice to all members who can be identified through reasonable efforts.”
Rule 23(c)(2), Fed. R. Civ. P.
The instant notice and claim forms are very similar to the notice and claim form this
Court approved in the Cryptsy Case. The proposed notice and claim form are attached to the
Settlement Agreement as Exhibits A and B. They differ only in changes in context to reflect the
claims and defenses asserted in the instant case. The general form of the notice and claim form
remain the same. 4
The content of the proposed Notice and Proof of Claim Form satisfies the Rule 23
standard. Rule 23(c)(2)(B) requires the notice to fairly describe the litigation and the proposed
settlement and its legal significance. The Parties’ proposed Class Notice describes, in plain
terms, a description of the case, a definition of the class, the reasons for the settlement, the
amount of attorneys’ fees and expenses that Class Representative’s counsel will seek to recover,
the Settlement Class Members’ legal rights and options, the manner and deadlines for filing
objections to or exclusion from the settlement, the consequences of opting out of the class
settlement, the date and significance of the fairness hearing and where the class can get
additional information about the settlement.
4
The formatting of the notice and claim form will be revised by the Claims Administrator
prior to dissemination to the Class.
ACTIVE/101549008.2 15
The Notice also satisfies Rule 23(c)(2)(B) because it will be sent by email and/or first-
class mail to all potential class members whose contact information has already been provided to
Class Counsel or can be reasonably identified from Cryptsy’s available records. Notice will also
be published as web-based banner ads on two websites used by cryptocurrency investors. Notice
will also be posted on Class Counsel’s websites.
The Claims Administrator 5 will also use the existing website from the Cryptsy Case
Settlement – with which claimants in that case are already presumably familiar – to provide
Class Members with information and documents about the case and proposed Settlement, to
make the Proof of Claim form available for download, and allow Class Members to submit
claims online. Accordingly, the Parties’ proposed notice to the Settlement Class Members is
reasonably calculated to notify the Class of the Parties’ settlement, provides the Class with the
best notice practicable under the circumstances, and otherwise satisfies Due Process. See Wilson
v. Everbank, N.A., Case No. 14-22264, 2015 WL 10857344 *3 (S.D. Fla. Aug. 31, 2015); Fresco
v. Auto Data Direct, Inc., Case No. 03-61063, 2007 WL 2330895 *7 (S.D. Fla. May 14, 2007).
IV. THE FINAL APPROVAL HEARING
Plaintiff requests that the Court schedule a hearing on Plaintiff’s forthcoming Motion for
Final Approval. The date, time and location of such hearing must be included in the Notice.
Plaintiff notes that the expected date of dissemination of Notice to the Class is January 15, 2020,
and the deadline for the submission of claims is ninety (90) days after the dissemination of notice
to the class, such that the claims deadline will fall on or about April 15, 2020. Thus, Plaintiff
5
Plaintiff’s Counsel wishes to employ the same Claims Administrator used in the Cryptsy
Case - Angeion Group (http://www.angeiongroup.com/)- to inter alia, handle the tasks of notice,
claims administration, and the CAFA notice requirement. Angeion provided the most
competitive quote for such work in the Cryptsy Case, and because Angeion already possess the
data for and knowledge of the Plan of Allocation in this instant case, they are the logical choice
to serve again as the Claims Administrator.
ACTIVE/101549008.2 16
request that the Court schedule the Final Approval Hearing for a date on or after May 1, 2020.
V. THE COURT SHOULD APPROVE THE PROPOSED NOTICE OF

CERTIFICATION OF THE CLAIMS AGAINST COINBASE
Rule 23(c)(2)(B), Fed.R.Civ.P., requires that “[f]or any class certified under Rule
23(b)(3), the court must direct to the class members the best notices that is practicable under the
circumstances, including individual notice to all class members who can be identified through
reasonable effort.” The proposed notice satisfies all of Rule 23(c)(2)(B)(i)-(vii)’s requirements.
CONCLUSION
Class Representative requests that the Court: (i) certify the settlement class; (ii)
preliminarily approve the Settlement Agreement among the Parties; (iii) approve for the
Settlement Agreement (a) the Class Notice for mailing and publication and (b) Proof of Claim
Form; and (iv) schedule a Final Approval Hearing.
CERTIFICATION OF COUNSEL
Pursuant to Local Rule 7.1(a)(3), S.D.Fla.L.R., the undersigned counsel hereby certifies
that they conferred with counsel for Defendant by sending them a copy of this Motion prior to
filing it, and then conferring by phone and email. The undersigned counsel is authorized to
represent that Defendant does not oppose the relief sought herein.
Respectfully submitted,
BY: /S/ MARC A. WITES

Fla. Bar No.: 24783
mwites@witeslaw.com
WITES LAW FIRM
Attorneys for Plaintiff and the Class
4400 North Federal Highway
Lighthouse Point, FL 33064
954-933-4400/954-354-0205 (fax)
and
ACTIVE/101549008.2 17
SILVER MILLER
11780 W. Sample Road
Coral Springs, Florida 33065
Telephone: (954) 755-4799
Facsimile: (954) 755-4684
DAVID C. SILVER
E-mail: DSilver@SilverMillerLaw.com
Florida Bar No. 572764
JASON S. MILLER
E-mail: JMiller@SilverMillerLaw.com
Florida Bar No. 095631
Counsel for Plaintiff and the Class
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
WE HEREBY CERTIFY that a copy of the foregoing was served on this 27th day of
November 2019 upon: ANDREW KEMP-GERSTEL, ESQ. and JAMES R. LIEBLER, II,
ESQ., LIEBLER, GONZALEZ & PORTUONDO, Counsel for Defendant, Coinbase Inc.,
Courthouse Tower - 25th Floor, 44 West Flagler Street, Miami, FL 33130; and LAURA
STOLL, ESQ. and GALEN PHILLIPS, ESQ., GOODWIN PROCTER LLP, Pro Hac Vice
Counsel for Defendant, Coinbase Inc., 601 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017.
/s/ Marc. A. Wites

MARC A. WITES
ACTIVE/101549008.2 18
Case 9:16-cv-81992-KAM Document 143-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 11/27/2019 Page 1 of 59
EXHIBIT A

Civil Action No. 9:16-cv-81992-MARRA
BRANDON LEIDEL, individually

and on behalf of all others similarly situated,
Plaintiff,
v.

Defendant.
________________________________________________/
CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
This Settlement Agreement is made and entered as of November___, 2019, subject to
approval of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, among and
between Plaintiff Brandon Leidel, for himself and on behalf of the putative Settlement Class as
defined below and Defendant Coinbase Inc., a Delaware Corporation (“Defendant Coinbase”)
(collectively, the “Parties”").
RECITALS
WHEREAS, Plaintiff filed the above-captioned class action lawsuit against Defendant
Coinbase (the “Action”);
WHEREAS, Plaintiff and the Settlement Class, as defined below, maintained customer
accounts at a cryptocurrency exchange known as Project Investors, Inc., d/b/a Cryptsy
(“Cryptsy”) into which Plaintiff and the Settlement Class had deposited digital currencies (also
known as cryptocurrencies);
WHEREAS, in the Action, Plaintiff alleged, inter alia, that Cryptsy and its founder and
ACTIVE/101496218.1
controlling shareholder, Paul Vernon (referred to herein collectively as the “Cryptsy
Defendants”) unlawfully converted for the Cryptsy Defendants’ own use and benefit the
cryptocurrency held in the Cryptsy customer accounts and that Coinbase unlawfully aided and
abetted that conversion by allowing Cryptsy and Vernon to have accounts on the Coinbase
platform that the Cryptsy Defendants used to, inter alia, convert bitcoin to U.S. dollars;
WHEREAS, Defendant denied all of the allegations made by Plaintiff in the Action;
WHEREAS, the Parties conducted extensive discovery in the Action during a period of
more than a year, including, but not limited to, the exchange and review of more than 125,000
pages of documents, propounding and responding to 34 interrogatories, the taking of 16
depositions in various locations across the country (including of the Plaintiff, representatives of
Coinbase, former Cryptsy employees, the Receiver, as defined below, and individuals who
assisted the Receiver), and the production and exchange of expert reports;
WHEREAS, the Parties also engaged in substantial motion practice in the Action,
including a motion to compel arbitration (denied by the District Court and affirmed on appeal),
motions to compel, a motion for class certification (fully briefed and awaiting decision at the
time of this Settlement Agreement), and a motion for summary judgment (also fully briefed and
awaiting decision at the time of this Settlement Agreement);
WHEREAS, Plaintiff, Defendant Coinbase, and their respective counsel attended a
court-ordered mediation on September 5, 2019 before Judge (Retired) Howard Tescher and,
following more than four additional weeks of phone conferences between and among the
mediator and counsel, the Parties reached an agreement to resolve the claims of Plaintiff and the
Settlement Class against Defendant Coinbase;
WHEREAS, the Receiver was informed of the terms of the agreement to resolve the
ACTIVE/101496218.1
claims in the Action and agreed, subject to court approval, the he (solely in his capacity as
Receiver) and the Receivership Estate (as defined below) would be bound by this Settlement
Agreement, including the Release set forth in Section VIII below;
WHEREAS, the Parties recognize that the outcome of the Action is uncertain, and that a
final resolution through the litigation process would likely require several years of protracted
adversarial litigation and appeals; involve substantial risk and expense; and could result in
additional expenses associated with possible future litigation raising similar or duplicative
claims. Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel have concluded, after inquiry and investigation of the facts, that
the terms of this Settlement Agreement are fair, reasonable, adequate, and in the best interests of
the Settlement Class; and the Parties and their counsel have agreed to resolve the Action as a
class action settlement according to the terms of this Settlement Agreement;
WHEREAS, Defendant Coinbase denies all wrongdoing and liability but has concluded
that it will enter into this Settlement Agreement, among other reasons, to avoid the further
expense, inconvenience, burden, distractions, uncertainty, and risk of litigation and any other
present or future litigation arising out of the facts that gave rise to the litigation in the Action;
NOW, THEREFORE, without any admission or concession whatsoever by the Parties
as to the strength or weakness of the merits of the claims and defenses asserted in the Action, it is
hereby stipulated and agreed by the undersigned, on behalf of Plaintiff, the Settlement Class, and
Defendant Coinbase that all Claims against Defendant Coinbase be fully and forever settled,
compromised, released, and dismissed on the merits with prejudice on the following terms and
conditions, subject to the Court's approval:
I. DEFINITIONS
Under this Settlement Agreement, the defined terms above, and following terms set forth
ACTIVE/101496218.1
below, shall have the meanings as respectively indicated:
A. "Action" has the meaning assigned to it on page 1 of this Settlement Agreement.
B. "Agreement" and “Settlement Agreement” means this Settlement Agreement,
inclusive of all exhibits and the addendum hereto.
C. “Authorized Claims” and “Authorized Claimants” have the meaning assigned to
them in Section VI of this Settlement Agreement
D. "CAFA Notice" means the notice of this settlement to the appropriate federal and
state officials in the United States, as provided by the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, 28
U.S.C. Section 1715.
E. "Claim" and "Claims" mean all claims, demands, actions, suits, causes of action,
allegations of wrongdoing, and assertions of liability by Plaintiff and/or a Class Member against
Defendant Coinbase or any other Released Party that was or could have been brought in the
Action.
F. "Claims Administration" means any and all actions taken by the Claims
Administrator in furtherance of the terms of this Settlement Agreement.
G. "Claims Administrator" means Angeion Group or such other third-party claims
administrator agreed upon by the Parties.
H. "Claims Deadline" shall be ninety (90) days after the Notice Date.
I. "Claim Form" means the Court-approved form to be submitted by Settlement
Class Members to the Claims Administrator in the form of Exhibit A hereto or in such other
form as may be approved by the Court.
J. "Class Member" means a person or entity belonging to the Settlement Class.
K. "Class Notice" means the form of notice, attached hereto as Exhibits B agreed to
ACTIVE/101496218.1
by the Parties, or such other form as may be approved by the Court that, among other things,
informs the Class Members of: (i) the certification of a class for purposes of settlement in the
Action; (ii) the date and location of the final approval hearing; (iii) the elements of the
Settlement Agreement; (iv) the process by which Class Members may Opt Out of the Settlement
Class or object to the Settlement Agreement (in whole or in part); and (v) the process by which
Settlement Class Members may apply to obtain compensation from the Settlement Fund.
L. “Court” means the United States District Court for the Southern District of
Florida.
M. “Cryptsy” has the meaning assigned to it on page 1 of this Settlement Agreement.
N. “Cryptsy Case” means the civil action filed in the Court styled as Leidel, et al. v.
Project Investors, Inc. d/b/a Cryptsy, Paul Vernon, and Lorie Ann Nettles, Case No. 9:16-cv-
80060-MARRA.
O. “Cryptsy Defendants” has the meaning assigned to it on page 2 of this Settlement
Agreement.
P. “Defendant Coinbase” has the meaning assigned to it on page 1 of this Settlement
Agreement.
Q. "Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel" means Steven A. Ellis, Laura A. Stoll, and
Galen A. Phillips of Goodwin Procter, LLP; J. Randolph Liebler, Andrew Kemp-Gerstel, and
James R. Liebler of Liebler, Gonzalez & Portuondo; and any other attorney who appears as
counsel of record for Defendant Coinbase in the Action.
R. "Effective Date" shall mean the next business day following the last date on
which a notice of appeal directed to the entry of the Final Approval Order and Judgment could
have been timely filed but with no notice of appeal having been filed; or, should a notice of
ACTIVE/101496218.1
appeal be filed, it shall mean the next business day after the Final Approval Order and Judgment
is affirmed, all appeals are dismissed, and no further appeal is permitted.
S. "Escrow Agent" means Wites Law Firm.
T. "Final Approval Hearing Date" shall mean the hearing date set by the Court on
which the Court takes up for consideration Plaintiffs’ motion for final approval of the Settlement
Agreement.
U. "Final Approval Order and Judgment" shall have the meaning assigned in Section
VII(F) of this Settlement Agreement.
V. “Market Value” has the meaning assigned to it in Section VI(B)(2) of this
Settlement Agreement
W. "Mediation Agreement" means the agreement reached by the Parties on or about
October 8, 2019, with the assistance of a mediator, which is superseded by this Settlement
Agreement.
X. “Motion for Preliminary Approval” has the meaning assigned to it in Section
II(A)(1) of this Settlement Agreement.
Y. "Net Settlement Fund" means the Settlement Fund less any distribution approved
by the Court for attorneys' fees, costs and expenses paid to Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel, any award
to Plaintiff Brandon Leidel provided for herein or approved by the Court, notice and
administration expenses, taxes and tax expenses, and any other Court-approved deductions.
Z. "Notice" means the notice provided to Class Members pursuant to the Federal
Rules of Civil Procedure and the mechanisms set forth in Section IV of this Settlement
Agreement. including, but not limited to, the Class Notice.
AA. "Notice Date" means the date by which the Claims Administrator publishes the
ACTIVE/101496218.1
notices, as provided for in Section IV(A)(2)(a) of this Settlement Agreement.
BB. "Objection Date" means the date by which Class Members must file with the
Court written notice of any objection to this Settlement Agreement, or to any part or provision
thereof as set forth in Section VII(E) below.
CC. "Opt Out" shall have the meaning assigned to it Section VII(D) of this Settlement
Agreement.
DD. "Opt Out Deadline" shall be sixty (60) days after the Notice Date.
EE. "Parties" shall have the meaning assigned to it in the preamble of this Settlement
Agreement.
FF. "Person" or "Persons" means all persons and entities including without limitation
natural persons, firms, corporations, limited liability companies, joint ventures, joint stock
companies, unincorporated organizations, agencies, bodies, associations, partnerships, limited
liability partnerships, and their predecessors, successors, administrators, executors, heirs and
assigns.
GG. "Plaintiff" means Brandon Leidel.
HH. “Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel" and “Class Counsel” means Wites Law Firm and Silver
Miller Law.
II. Plan of Allocation” means the plan and formula of allocation of the Net
Settlement Fund by which the Net Settlement Fund shall be distributed to Authorized Claimants,
as set forth in Section VI of this Settlement Agreement.
JJ. "Preliminary Approval" means the entry by the Court of the Preliminary Approval
Order.
KK. "Preliminary Approval Order" means the Order to be presented to the Court
ACTIVE/101496218.1
which, if entered by the Court, will provisionally certify the Settlement Class, preliminarily
approve the Settlement Agreement, approve the Claim Form and Class Notice in substantially
the same form as Exhibits A and B, and approve the distribution and processing procedures set
forth herein for the Claim Form and Class Notice.
LL. “Receiver” means James D. Sallah, not individually but solely in his capacity as
the Court-appointed Receiver in the Cryptsy Case.
MM. “Receivership Estate” means the assets, rights and rights of action of Cryptsy.
NN. “Recognized Claims” has the meaning assigned to it in Section VI(B)(1) of this
Settlement Agreement.
OO. "Released Claims" are defined in Section VIII below.
PP. "Released Parties" means Defendant Coinbase and all of its past, present, and
future parents, predecessors, successors, partners, assigns, joint venturers, subsidiaries, affiliates,
divisions, and each and all of their respective owners, investors, shareholders, officers, directors,
vendors, employees, attorneys, insurers, and agents (alleged or actual), but expressly excludes
Paul Vernon and the Cryptsy Defendants (including without limitation natural persons, firms,
corporations, officers, directors, shareholders, limited liability companies, members, managers,
joint ventures, joint stock companies, unincorporated organizations, agencies, bodies,
associations, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, partners, and their predecessors,
successors, administrators, executors, heirs and assigns).
QQ. "Releasing Parties" means the Plaintiff, each Settlement Class Member, and the
Receiver (in his capacity as Receiver and on behalf of the Receivership Estate), and any Person
claiming by or through the Plaintiff, each Settlement Class Member, and the Receiver, including
as his/her/its spouse, child, ward, next friend, executor, guardian, estate, heir, devisee,
ACTIVE/101496218.1
beneficiary, legatee, invitee, employee, customer, associate, co-owner, attorney, agent,
administrator, predecessor, successor, assignee, representative of any kind, shareholder, partner,
director, or affiliate.
RR. "Settlement Amount" means the monies described and defined in Section II(A)(2)
below.
SS. "Settlement Class" means and includes all Cryptsy account owners who held
bitcoin, other digital currencies or cryptocurrencies, or any other asset on the Cryptsy platform as
of November 1, 2015 to the present. Excluded from the Class are: (1) employees of Cryptsy,
including its shareholders, officers and directors and members of their immediate families; (2)
employees of COINBASE, including its shareholders, officers and directors and members of
their immediate families; any judge to whom this action is assigned and the judge’s immediate
family; (3) persons who timely and validly opt to exclude themselves from the Class; and (4) any
person or entity that opened an account at Cryptsy after October 4, 2015, which is the last date
on which any of the Cryptsy Defendants used any of the accounts maintained on the Coinbase
platform to exchange Bitcoin for U.S. dollars.
TT. "Settlement Class Member" is a person or entity within the definition of the
Settlement Class and who has not validly and timely exercised the right to Opt Out of the
Settlement Class.
UU. "Settlement Fund" means the Settlement Amount plus all interest and accretions
thereto and which may be reduced by payments or deductions as provided herein or by Court
order.
VV. “Settlement Website” has the meaning assigned to it in Section IV(A)(2)(e) of this
Settlement Agreement
ACTIVE/101496218.1
Case 9:16-cv-81992-KAM Document 143-1 Entered on FLSD Docket 11/27/2019 Page 10 of
59
WW. “Total Recognized Claims” has the meaning assigned to it in Section VI(B) of
this Settlement Agreement.
II. THE SETTLEMENT
A. The Settlement consists of the following:
1. Certification of a Settlement Class: Coinbase will not oppose the certification

of a class for settlement purposes or Plaintiff’s Motion for Preliminary
Approval of Class Action Settlement, Conditional Certification of the
Settlement Class, Appointment of Plaintiffs’ Counsel as Class Counsel,
Approval of Notice to Class Members, and Scheduling of a Final Approval
Hearing (the “Motion for Preliminary Approval”). The Motion for Preliminary
Approval and the Motion for Final Approval will contain agreed findings of
fact and conclusions of law, which will be presented as proposed findings of
fact and conclusions of law in a proposed final order approving the settlement
that demonstrates that this action meets the requirements of Rule 23,
Fed.R.Civ.P. Class Counsel will share with Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel a
draft of the Motion for Preliminary Approval of the Settlement Agreement
and the Motion for Final Approval at least five (5) court days before filing this
motion with the Court, and in the event that Defendant has any objections to
the motion, Class Counsel and Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel will meet and
confer in a good faith and reasonable attempt to resolve any such objections.
2. Creation of the Settlement Fund: Within ten (10) days after the Court enters
the Preliminary Approval Order, Coinbase shall deliver to the Escrow Agent
nine hundred sixty-two thousand five hundred dollars ($962,500.00).
B. The Escrow Agent shall deposit the Settlement Amount
in a segregated escrow account (the "Escrow Account") established and
maintained by the Escrow Agent. Any interest earned on the Settlement Amount
shall become and remain part of the Settlement Amount.
C. The Settlement Fund shall be applied as follows (subject to Court approval):
1. To pay all the costs and expenses reasonably and actually incurred in
connection with providing notice, locating Class Members, soliciting
claims from Class Members, assisting with the filing of claims,
ACTIVE/101496218.1
59
administering and distributing the Net Settlement Fund to Authorized
Claimants, processing Claim Forms, and paying escrow fees and costs, if
any;
2. To pay the taxes and tax expenses of the Escrow Account;
3. After the Effective Date, to pay attorneys' fees and expenses of Plaintiffs’
Lead Counsel, to pay Plaintiff Brandon Leidel his incentive award, if and
to the extent allowed by the Court;
4. After the Effective Date, to distribute the Net Settlement Fund to the
Settlement Class Members as allowed by this Agreement in the Plan of
Allocation and subject to the approval of the Court; and
5. To the extent any monies remain in the settlement fund after all of the
distributions detailed immediately above, as set forth more fully in this
Agreement, such amount shall revert and paid to Defendant Coinbase.
III. RECEIVER
Receiver was initially a party to this Action but voluntarily dismissed his claims without
prejudice shortly after the Complaint was filed. However, Receiver has agreed to be bound, in his
capacity as Receiver and on behalf of the Receivership Estate, by the Settlement Agreement, to
release any and all claims that he has or may have against the Released Parties and to be bound as
a Releasing Party by the provisions of Section VIII of this Settlement Agreement.
IV. NOTICE AND CLAIMS PROCEDURES
A. Notice
1. Form of Class Notice: Subject to approval of the Court, Class Notice shall
be made by publication, and to the extent reasonably possibly by email or
U.S. mail (i.e., direct mail) where no email address is available, as set
forth below in the forms attached hereto as Exhibit B.
ACTIVE/101496218.1
59
2. Dissemination of Notice:
(a) Notice Date: Subject to approval by the Court, the Class Notice
shall be reasonably disseminated within forty-five (45) days of the
entry of the Preliminary Approval Order by the Court.
(b) Notice by Email: The Claims Administrator shall cause the Class
Notice to be disseminated by email to all persons that were sent
email notice of the settlement in the Cryptsy Case, which included
(1) all persons who provided their contact information to Plaintiffs’
Lead Counsel and Receiver and (2) who can be identified from the
records of Cryptsy. The Claims Administrator shall also cause the
Class Notice to be disseminated by email to all persons that
provided their contact information to Lead Counsel and/or the
Receiver subsequent to the notice and claim period in the Cryptsy
Case.
(c) Notice by Direct Mail: The Claims Administrator shall cause the
Class Notice to be disseminated by direct mail to all persons that
were sent direct mail notice of the settlement in the Cryptsy Case,
which included: (1) all persons who provided their contact
information to Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel and Receiver and such
information does not include a valid email address, and (2) who
can be identified from the records of Cryptsy where such records
do not include a valid email address. The Claims Administrator
shall also cause the Class Notice to be disseminated by direct mail
to all persons that provided their contact information (but not an
email address) to Lead Counsel and/or the Receiver subsequent to
the notice and claim period in the Cryptsy Case.
(d) Notice By Publication: Subject to approval by the Court, notice

will be provided to the Settlement Class through publication as
follows: a web-based banner ad program on two websites that,
according to Lead Plaintiffs’ Counsel, are the amongst the highest
ranking websites for cryptocurrency investors, but which do not
include any websites operated by Defendant Coinbase. Further,
the Class Notice will be posted on the Settlement Website (as
defined below) and Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel’s websites, and at the
website maintained by the Receiver.
(e) Website: The Claims Administrator shall cause a website to be

created containing Claims information and relevant documents,
including this Settlement Agreement, Claim Forms, and
information about the status of the Action and deadlines
established by the Court (the “Settlement Website”). The cost of
creating and maintaining this website shall be paid from the
Settlement Fund, subject to Court approval.
ACTIVE/101496218.1
59
3. Cost of Notice: Costs of the Class Notice, as detailed above, and Claims
Administration, shall be paid from the Settlement Fund, subject to Court
approval. The Claims Administrator shall provide to Class Counsel and
Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel monthly statements that identify all costs
reasonably and actually incurred by the Claims Administrator in
connection with Class Notice and Claims Administration.
4. Claims Administrator to Effect Notice: The Claims Administrator shall be
responsible for placing and mailing the Class Notice pursuant to Section
IV and implementing the notice plan approved by the Court.
5. Certification Notice Given: Within thirty (30) days of completion of the
dissemination and publication of the Class Notice as described above, the
Claims Administrator shall certify to the Court that it disseminated and
published the Class Notice pursuant to the approved notice plan. The
Claims Administrator shall also certify the dates that Class Notices were
actually published as described above, provide a true copy of each Class
Notice in each publication, and provide any other information relevant to
the publication and mailing of the Class Notice and other Notices.
6. CAFA Notice: The Claims Administrator shall serve notice of this
Settlement Agreement that meets the requirements of the Class Action
Fairness Act of 1995, 28 U.S.C. Section 1715, on the appropriate federal
and state officials not later than 10 days after the filing of this Settlement
Agreement with the Court.
ACTIVE/101496218.1
59
B. Claims Procedures Applicable to All Claims
1. All Settlement Class Members shall be bound by the claims procedures
set forth below to submit a claim for a distribution under the Plan of
Allocation.
2. Approved and Rejected Claims from Cryptsy Case:
(a) Any Settlement Class Member who submitted a valid and approved
claim in Cryptsy Case shall not be required to submit a separate claim in
the Action; such claims from the Cryptsy Case shall be deemed accepted
and valid in this settlement and its claims process, and will be processed
without the requirement of any further action by the respective Settlement
Class Member. Such Settlement Class Members need not submit a claim
or take any further action to submit a claim in this Action.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the claims and other documents that were
submitted by Persons who submitted valid and approved claims in the
Cryptsy Case will be reviewed to verify that such Persons are Settlement
Class Members under the terms of this Settlement Agreement.
(b) Any Settlement Class Member who submitted a claim in Cryptsy Case
that was rejected must submit a claim form but need not resubmit any of
the supporting materials submitted with their Cryptsy Claim; such
Settlement Class Member must submit additional documents and materials
to support their claim as provided in Section IV(B)(3) below.
3. Submission of Claim Form: Any Settlement Class Member who did not
submit a valid and approved claim in the Cryptsy Case shall follow the
ACTIVE/101496218.1
59
claim submission procedures set forth in this paragraph. Except as
provided above in Section IV(B)(2) above, to receive a distribution from
the Settlement Fund, a Settlement Class Member must sign and submit a
completed Claim Form in the form of Exhibit A hereto together with all
other documentation, if any, set forth below either online or on the
Settlement Website. A Claim Form must be submitted by regular First
Class U.S. Mail, fax, or by electronic mail in Portable Document Format
("PDF") to the Claims Administrator, or such other method approved by
the Court. Claim Forms will be made available by mail and for
downloading from the Settlement Website maintained by the Claims
Administrator and may be made available on the websites of Plaintiffs'
Lead Counsel. Class Counsel, Defendant Coinbase, and Defendant
Coinbase’s Counsel shall have access, upon request, to the information
submitted by Class Members to the Claims Administrator but will keep
confidential the information provided by Class Members on Claim Forms
and will not use the information for any purpose other than in connection
with Claims Administration and will not share, distribute, or disclose such
information.
4. Verification: The Settlement Class Member shall sign the verification by
hand on the Claim Form that states as follows:
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of

the United States of America that all of the foregoing
information supplied on this Proof of Claim and
Release form by the undersigned is true and correct.
ACTIVE/101496218.1
59
5. Claims Administration and Deadlines:
(a) Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel and Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel shall

supervise the Claims Administrator and Claims Administration
process.
(b) All Claim Forms must be received by the Claims Administrator by

the Claims Deadline unless such period is extended by Order of the
Court. The Claims Deadline shall be set forth in the Class Notice,
the websites of the Claims Administrator, and Plaintiffs' Lead
Counsel, as well as on the front page of all Claims Forms.
(c) Except as provided above in Section IV(B)(2), any Class Member

who fails to timely submit a Claim Form shall be forever barred
from receiving any payment pursuant to this Agreement (unless, by
Order of the Court, a later submitted Claim Form by such Class
Member is approved), but shall in all other respects be bound by
all of the terms of this Settlement Agreement, including the release
provisions of Section VIII. A Claim Form shall be deemed to have
been submitted when posted, if received with a postmark indicated
on the envelope and if mailed first-class postage prepaid, or when
it is received by the Claims Administrator.
(e) The Claims Administrator shall maintain records of all Claim

Forms submitted. The Claims Administrator shall maintain all such
records until all Claim Forms have been finally resolved, and such
records will be made available upon request to Defendant
Coinbase’s Counsel or Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel.
(f) Claim Forms that do not meet the submission requirements will be
rejected. Prior to rejection of a Claim Form, the Claims
Administrator shall communicate with the Settlement Class
Member in order to afford the Settlement Class Member a
reasonable opportunity to remedy curable deficiencies in the Claim
Form submitted. The Claims Administrator shall notify in a timely
fashion and in writing, by email or by U.S. Mail, all Settlement
Class Members whose Claim Forms it proposes to reject in whole
or in part, setting forth the reasons therefor, and shall indicate in
such notice that the Settlement Class Member has the right to a
review by the Court if the Settlement Class Member so desires and
complies with the requirements of subparagraph 4g immediately
below.
(g) If any Settlement Class Member whose claim has been rejected in
whole or in part desires to contest such rejection, the Settlement
Class Member must, within twenty (20) days after the date of
mailing of the notice required in subparagraph 5f immediately
ACTIVE/101496218.1
59
above, serve upon the Claims Administrator a notice and statement

of reasons indicating the Settlement Class Member’s grounds for
contesting the rejection along with any supporting documentations,
and requesting a review thereof by the Court. If a dispute
concerning a claim cannot be otherwise resolved, Plaintiffs’ Lead
Counsel shall thereafter present the request for review to the Court;
(h) Each Settlement Class Member shall be deemed to have submitted

to the jurisdiction of the Court with respect to the Settlement Class
Member’s claim.
(i) Payment pursuant to this Settlement Agreement shall be made

pursuant to the Plan of Allocation set forth in this Settlement
Agreement, and shall be deemed final and conclusive against all
Class Members with regard to the Released Claims. All Settlement
Class Members whose claims are not approved by the Court shall
be barred from participating in distributions from the Net
Settlement Fund, but otherwise shall be bound by all of the terms
of this Settlement Agreement, including the release provisions of
Section VIII.
B. Notification to Claimants: The Claims Administrator shall notify a
Settlement Class Member within forty-five (45) days of receiving the Claim Form and all
necessary information, or as soon thereafter as reasonably practicable, whether the Claim will be
accepted and paid pursuant to the terms of this Settlement Agreement and its Plan of Allocation
or rejected.
V. ATTORNEY’S FEES AND INCENTIVE AWARDS
A. Application: Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel may submit an application or applications
to the Court (the "Fee and Expense Application(s)") for distribution to them from the Settlement
Fund, and, provided that such applications are consistent with the terms of this Settlement
Agreement, Defendant Coinbase shall not oppose such applications.
B. Plaintiff’s Lead Counsel: Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel may submit a Fee and Expense
Application which includes a request for (a) attorney’s fees not to exceed 33.33% of the
Settlement Fund and (b) reimbursement of expenses and costs reasonably and actually incurred,
ACTIVE/101496218.1
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or to be incurred, in connection with prosecuting the Action, (the "Fee and Expense Award").
C. Consideration by the Court: The procedure for, and the allowance or disallowance
by the Court of, the application(s) for the Fee and Expense Award to be paid out of the
Settlement Fund, and any plan for distribution of the Settlement Fund to the Settlement Class,
are to be considered by the Court separately from the Court's consideration of the fairness,
reasonableness, and adequacy of the Settlement; and any order or proceeding relating to the Fee
and Expense Application(s) or any plan of distribution, or any appeal from any such orders, shall
not operate to terminate or cancel this Agreement or affect or delay the finality of the judgment
approving the Settlement.
E. Timing of Payment: The Escrow Agent will distribute to Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel
the amounts awarded by the Court for the Fee and Expense Application seven (7) business days
after the Effective Date or upon such other date set forth in any order of this Court.
F. Incentive Awards: Named Plaintiff Brandon Leidel shall receive from the Net
Settlement Fund two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) as an incentive award for the
inconvenience and time spent in bringing this Action. The incentive award shall be paid from the
Settlement Fund at the same time all Authorized Claims are paid.
VI. PLAN OF ALLOCATION
A. Establishing the Plan of Allocation
1. The Net Settlement Fund shall be distributed to all Settlement Class
Members who submit timely, valid and acceptable Claim Forms
(“Authorized Claimants”).
2. The Net Settlement Fund will be available to pay claims for up to 100
percent of the losses incurred by Authorized Claimants.
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3. The Claims Administrator shall determine the amount of the distribution
to be made to each Authorized Claimant based upon each Authorized
Claimant’s “Recognized Claim” as set forth below in Section VI(B) &
(C). The Recognized Claim formula is the basis upon which the Net
Settlement Fund will be allocated to the Authorized Claimants. All
payments made to Authorized Claimants from the Net Settlement Fund
pursuant to this Plan of Allocation shall be made in United States Dollars.
B. Determination of Recognized Claims
1. Authorized Claimants who submit documentation sufficient to identify the
type, and determine the quantity of, cryptocurrency held on the Cryptsy
platform between November 1, 2015 and the present date, such as account
statements or screen shots of account holdings, shall have a “Recognized
Claim” in the amount equal to the Market Value of such cryptocurrency
(as calculated below in Section VI(B)(2). Settlement Class Members who
submitted a valid and approved claim in the Cryptsy Case Settlement shall
have in the settlement of this Action a Recognized Claim in an amount
equal to the Market Value of their cryptocurrency as described in this
paragraph less the amount that was paid to and received by them in
connection with the settlement of the Cryptsy Case. NOTE: Persons in the
Settlement Class who do not submit documentation sufficient to identify
the type, and determine the quantity of, cryptocurrency held on the
Cryptsy platform between November 1, 2015 and the present date shall
not have a Recognized Claim. In addition, Persons who submitted a claim
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in connection with the settlement of the Cryptsy Case but who did not
open an account on the Cryptsy platform until after October 4, 2015 or
who are otherwise are not Settlement Class Members (as that term is
defined in this Settlement Agreement) in this Action will not receive any
payment in connection with the settlement of this Action.
2. The Market Value of cryptocurrency shall be based on the same formula
employed in the settlement of the Cryptsy Case, which was based on the
price of such cryptocurrency as of 5:00 pm ET on the date such
cryptocurrency was deposited on the Cryptsy platform if such date can be
determined from the records submitted by the Settlement Class Member
(or, if such date cannot be determined, then based on the closing price of
such cryptocurrency as of 5:00 p.m. ET on November 1, 2015), based on
the historical pricing of cryptocurrency as provided by Defendant
Coinbase or such other course of historical cryptocurrency pricing
approved by the Court.
C. Distribution of the Net Settlement Fund
1. The Distribution to each Settlement Class Member from the Net
Settlement Fund, as described immediately above in Sections VI(A) and
(B), shall be determined as follows:
a. The Claims Administrator will first determine the sum of all

Recognized Claims, as set forth above in Section VI(B) (the “Total
Recognized Claims”).
b. If the amount of the Total Recognized Claims is less than or equal

to the amount of the Net Settlement Fund, then each Authorized
Claimant will receive a distribution from the Net Settlement Fund
in an amount equal to 100 percent of the Authorized Claimant’s
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Recognized Claim.
c. If the amount of the Total Recognized Claims is more than the

amount of the Net Settlement Fund, then each Authorized
Claimant shall be allocated a pro rata share of the Net Settlement
Fund based on his, her or its Recognized Claim compared to the
Total Recognized Claims of all Authorized Claimants. The pro
rata shares shall be determined by multiplying each Authorized
Claimant’s “Recognized Claim” by a fraction, the numerator of
which shall be the amount of the Net Settlement Fund and the
denominator of which shall be the Total Recognized Claims of all
Authorized Claimants.
2. Settlement Class Members who do not submit acceptable Claim Forms will not
share in the proceeds of the Net Settlement Funds, but will nevertheless be bound
by the Settlement Agreement, the release provisions of Section VIII of the
Settlement Agreement, and the Court’s Final Judgment and Order of Dismissal
dismissing this Action.
3. Distributions will be made to Authorized Claimants after all claims have been
processed, after the Court has entered the Final Approval Order and Judgment,
and after the Effective Date has occurred. If any funds remain in the Net
Settlement Fund, by reason of un-cashed checks or otherwise, then, after the
Claims Administrator has made reasonable and diligent efforts to have Authorized
Claimants cash their distributions, any balance remaining in the Net Settlement
Fund six months after the initial distribution of such funds shall revert and be paid
to Defendant Coinbase.
4. Plaintiff, Defendant Coinbase, its counsel, and all other Released Parties shall
have no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the investment or distribution of
the Settlement Fund, the Net Settlement Fund or any portion thereof, the Plan of
Allocation or the determination, administration, calculation, or payment of any
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Claim Form or non-performance of the Claims Administrator, the payment or
withholding of taxes owed by the Settlement Fund or any losses incurred in
connection therewith.
VII. COURT APPROVAL AND OBJECTION PROCEDURES
A. Reasonable Efforts: Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel and Defendant’s Counsel agree that
they will use reasonable efforts to: (i) recommend and obtain approval of this Sett1ement
Agreement by the Court pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(e); (ii) carry out the
terms of this Settlement Agreement; and (iii) secure the prompt, complete and final dismissal
with prejudice of the Action.
B. Motion for Preliminary Approval: Following the execution of this Agreement,
Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel shall file in the Court a motion for Preliminary Approval that seeks
entry of a proposed Preliminary Approval Order that would, for settlement purposes only:
1. Preliminarily approve this Settlement Agreement;
2. Provisionally certify the Settlement Class and appoint Class Counsel as
counsel for the Settlement Class;
3. Approve the proposed Claim Form and Class Notice in a form
substantially similar to the form attached hereto as Exhibits A and B;
4. Approve the plan for dissemination and distribution of notice to the
Settlement Class, including through the Class Notice; and
5. Allow Plaintiffs’ Lead Counsel to retain the Claims Administrator for the
Notice and administration of the Settlement Agreement and to allow the
Wites Law Firm to act as the Escrow Agent.
Defendant Coinbase will not oppose this motion, and will agree that the Settlement Agreement
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should be preliminarily approved. Class Counsel will share with Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel a
draft of the Motion for Preliminary Approval at least five (5) court days before filing this motion
with the Court, and in the event that Defendant has any objections to the motion, Class Counsel
and Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel will meet and confer in a good faith and reasonable attempt to
resolve any such objections.
D. Voluntary Exclusion of Class Members from Settlement Class
1. Opt Out Rights: Class Members have the right to exclude themselves
("Opt Out") from this Agreement and from the Settlement Class by timely
submitting a request to Opt Out pursuant to Section VII(D)(3) below.
Class Members who so timely request to Opt Out shall be excluded from
this Agreement and from the Settlement Class. Any Class Member who
does not timely submit a request to Opt Out or does not otherwise comply
with the agreed upon Opt Out procedure approved by the Court shall be
bound by the terms of this Agreement and the Final Approval Order and
Judgment. Any Class Member who does not Opt Out of this Agreement
shall be deemed to have taken all actions necessary to withdraw and
revoke the assignment to any Person of any Released Claim against the
Released Party.
Any Class Member who timely submits a request to Opt Out shall have
until seven (7) days prior to the Final Approval Hearing Date in the Court
to deliver to Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel and the Claims Administrator a
written revocation of such Class Member's request to Opt Out. Plaintiffs'
Lead Counsel shall timely apprise the Court of such revocations.
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Within ten (10) days after the Opt Out Deadline, the Claims
Administrator shall furnish Plaintiffs' Lead Counsel and Defendant's
Counsel with a complete list of all Opt Out requests submitted by the Opt-
Out Deadline and not timely revoked.
2. Deadline to Opt Out from Settlement Class: All Class Members will be
given sixty (60) days after the Notice Date (the "Opt Out Deadline") to
Opt Out.
3. Request to Opt Out: A Class Member must Opt Out of the Settlement
Class by notifying the Claims Administrator in writing postmarked on or
before the Opt Out Deadline of his/her intention to exclude himself/herself
from the Settlement Class. The Class Member seeking to Opt Out must
include his/her name, address, telephone and signature in his/her written
request to Opt Out and otherwise comply with the requirements set forth
in this Agreement. The initial determination that each request to Opt Out
by a Class Member complies with the Opt Out procedures in this
Agreement will be made by the Claims Administrator and is subject to
review and final approval by the Court as part of the Final Approval of the
Settlement Agreement. The Court may disallow any request for exclusion
that fails to comply with the provisions of the Preliminary Approval Order
or the Opt Out procedures otherwise approved by the Court.
E. Procedures for Objecting to the Settlement: Any objection to this Settlement
Agreement, including any of its terms or provisions, must be served on Marc A. Wites, Esq.,
Wites Law Firm, 4400 North Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point, FL 33064 and Laura A. Stoll,
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Goodwin Procter LLP, 601 South Figueroa Street, 41st Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017, and filed
with the Court in writing no later than thirty (30) days prior to the Final Approval Hearing Date
as set forth in the Class Notice (the "Objection Date"). Any Person filing an objection in the
Court shall, by doing so, submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Florida for purposes of ruling upon or otherwise
resolving the objection.
F. Motion for Entry of Final Approval Order and Judgment
1. Hearing on Motion for Final Approval Order and Judgment: The Motion
for Entry of Final Approval Order and Judgment of this Settlement
Agreement will be set for hearing by the Court as soon as is practical. The
Parties shall seek entry of a "Final Approval Order and Judgment" that,
inter alia:
(a) Approves finally this Settlement Agreement and its terms as being
a fair, reasonable and adequate settlement as to the Class Members
within the meaning of Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil
Procedure, the Class Action Fairness Act, and other applicable
law;
(b) Determines that the Notice, as approved by the Preliminary

Approval Order, constitutes reasonable and the best practicable
notice reasonably calculated under the circumstances to apprise
members of the Settlement Class of the pendency of the Action,
the terms of the Settlement Agreement, the right to object or Opt
Out, and the right to appear at the hearing on Final Approval, and
the claims procedure, and that the Notice is adequate and sufficient
to all persons entitled to receive such notices, and meets the
requirements of due process and other applicable rules or laws; and
(c) Determines that there is no just reason for delay and that the Final
Approval Order and Judgment shall be final and entered.
Defendant Coinbase shall not oppose this motion, and will agree that the Settlement Agreement
should receive final approval. Class Counsel will share with Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel a
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draft of the Motion for Entry of Final Approval Order and Judgment of this Settlement
Agreement at least five (5) court days before filing this motion with the Court, and in the event
that Defendant has any objections to the motion, Class Counsel and Defendant Coinbase’s
Counsel will meet and confer in a good faith and reasonable attempt to resolve any such
objections.
2. Effect of Entry of a Final Approval Order and Judgment: The Claims
Administrator's distribution procedures under the Settlement Agreement
shall commence no earlier than seven (7) business days after the Effective
Date.
VIII. RELEASE OF CLAIMS
Upon entry of the Final Approval Order and Entry of Judgment by the Court, the
Releasing Parties, and each of them, completely and forever release and discharge all Released
Claims against the Released Parties. For purposes of this Settlement Agreement, "Released
Claims" means any individual, class, representative, group or collective claim, liability, right,
demand, suit, matter, obligation, damage, loss, action or cause of action, of every kind and
description, that a Releasing Party has or may have, including assigned claims, whether known
or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, asserted or unasserted, latent or patent, contingent or
noncontingent, that is, has been, could have been or in the future might be asserted by the
Releasing Party either in the Court or any other court or forum, regardless of legal theory,
regardless of the source of law (federal, state, local, or international, and whether based upon
common law or a statute or ordinance) and regardless of the type of relief or amount of damages
claimed, against any of the Released Party, arising from or related to the allegations in the
Action, the conduct of the Cryptsy Defendants, or the accounts on the Coinbase platform that
were owned or controlled, in whole or in part, by any of the Cryptsy Defendants, and occurring
ACTIVE/101496218.1
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prior to the Effective Date. The Released Claims include, but are not limited to, claims that any
Released Party (a) aided and abetted any unlawful conduct of the Cryptsy Defendants; (b)
conspired with the Cryptsy Defendants; (c) violated any duty under any source of law or
otherwise was negligent in relation to the accounts on the Coinbase platform that were owned or
controlled, in whole or in part, by any of the Cryptsy Defendants; or (d) was unjustly enriched in
connection with the accounts on the Coinbase platform that were owned or controlled, in whole
or in part, by any of the Cryptsy Defendants.
Upon entry of the Final Approval Order and Entry of Judgment by the Court, Plaintiff, on
behalf of himself and the Releasing Parties, expressly waives and releases any and all provisions,
rights, and benefits conferred by California Civil Code Section 1542, and by any law of any
other jurisdiction, or principle of common law, that is similar, comparable, or equivalent in effect
to California Civil Code Section 1542 with respect to the release of claims. California Civil
Code Section 1542 provides:
A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing
party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of
executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have
materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.
In making this wavier of rights, Plaintiff, on his behalf and on behalf of the Releasing Parties, (a)
acknowledges that he or they may hereafter discover facts other than or different from those that
he and they know and believe to be true with respect to the Released Claims; (b) affirms that he
and they have taken that possibility into account in reaching and agreeing to the terms of this
Settlement Agreement; and (c) affirms that he and they desire to enter into this Settlement
Agreement and to release all Released Claims fully and forever, notwithstanding the potential
ACTIVE/101496218.1
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risk (which he and they expressly assume) that he or they might subsequently discover such
different or additional facts.
IX. OTHER PROVISIONS
A. No Admission: Nothing herein shall constitute any admission as to any assertion,
claim, or allegation made by any party, or as to the scope of liability. Defendant Coinbase
specifically denies any wrongdoing or liability and specifically denies that a class could or
should be certified in the Action for litigation purposes. This Settlement Agreement is entered
into to resolve all claims amicably, and to avoid the risk and expense of additional litigation, and
does not imply or suggest in any way fault or wrongdoing. The Parties hereto agree that this
Settlement Agreement and its Exhibits, and any and all associated negotiations, documents,
discussions, shall not be deemed or construed by anyone to be an admission or evidence of any
violation of any statute or law, or of any liability or wrongdoing by Defendant Coinbase.
B. Business Practices: This Action concerned allegations regarding Defendant
Coinbase’s business practices during the time period of 2013-2015. This Settlement does not
include a request for injunctive relief or requirements for changes in business practices because
discovery in this action revealed that Defendant Coinbase’s AML and KYC practices after the
2013-2015 time period are compliant with all applicable legal requirements.
C. Press Releases and Other Disclosures: Any Party is permitted to publicize the
existence of the Settlement and the terms contained in this Settlement Agreement, but no Party
will disparage any other Party.
D. Termination; Right to Rescind the Settlement Agreement: This Settlement
Agreement will be terminated, will become null and void, and no Party will have any further
obligations under this Settlement Agreement if any of the following conditions subsequent
occurs:
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1. The Parties fail to obtain and maintain Preliminary Approval of the
proposed settlement;
2. The Court fails to enter a Final Approval Order and Judgment consistent
with the provisions in Section VII(F); or
3. The Court’s approval of this Settlement Agreement is not upheld on
appeal, including review by any appellate court. The failure of the Court
or any appellate court to approve in full the request by Plaintiffs' Lead
Counsel for attorneys' fees and other expenses, however, will not cancel or
terminate this Settlement Agreement.
4. More than seven and one-half percent (7.5%) percent of the members of
the Settlement Class submit timely and valid Opt Outs (except that this
failure of a condition subsequent may be waived by a written agreement of
the Parties).
5. If any of the conditions subsequent identified above in this Section occurs,
any Party may give notice in writing of the termination of this Settlement
Agreement by delivering a written notice of termination to all of the other
Parties.
6. The Parties may also mutually agree in writing to terminate this
Settlement Agreement.
7. If the Settlement Agreement is not granted Final Approval or if the
Settlement is not upheld on appeal, or is otherwise terminated for any
reason before the Effective Date, the Settlement Class shall be decertified;
the Settlement Agreement and all negotiations, proceedings, and
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59
documents prepared, and statements made in connection therewith, shall
be without prejudice to any Released Party and shall not be deemed or
construed to be an admission or confession by any Released Party of any
fact, matter, or proposition of law, including (but not limited to) an
admission that a class could or should be certified in the Action for
litigation purposes; and all Parties and Released Parties shall stand in the
same substantive and procedural position as they were on October 1, 2019,
and as if the Settlement Agreement had not been negotiated, made, or filed
with the Court.
E. Binding Effect: Upon the Effective Date, , this Settlement Agreement shall be
binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties, including each Settlement Class Member and
their successors and assigns.
F. No Assignment: Plaintiff and Class Counsel represent and warrant that other than
Class Counsel, there are no Persons having any interest in any award of attorneys’ fees,
expenses, or litigation costs in connection with the Action. Class Counsel agrees to indemnify
and hold Coinbase and its counsel harmless as to (a) any breach of the representation and
warranty contained in the prior sentence; and (b) any claim by any other Person against Coinbase
or its counsel for such an award of attorneys’ fees, expenses or litigation costs. Plaintiff
represents and warrants that he has not assigned or transferred, in whole or in part, any of his
interest in the Released Claims.
G. Choice of Law: Claims for breach of this Settlement Agreement shall be governed
by and interpreted according to the substantive law of the State of Florida without regard to
choice of law principles.
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H. Entire Agreement; Amendment: This Settlement Agreement, with its Exhibits,
constitutes the entire and complete agreement among the Parties and supersedes all prior
agreements, documents and understanding of the Parties related to the subject matter of this
Settlement Agreement, including the Mediation Agreement. This Agreement shall not be
modified in any respect except by writing executed by Defendant’s Counsel and Plaintiffs' Lead
Counsel.
J. Continuing Jurisdiction and Exclusive Venue: Except as otherwise provided in
this Agreement, each of the Parties, each member of the Settlement Class, and each of the
Releasing Parties that are otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of a United States court hereby
irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the United States District Court for
the Southern District of Florida for any suit, action, proceeding, case, controversy, or dispute
arising from or related to this Agreement and/or Exhibits hereto and the negotiation,
performance, or breach of same.
K. Authority: Each of the undersigned represents that he or she is fully
authorized to enter into the terms and conditions of, and to execute, this Settlement Agreement.
Each of the undersigned shall use his or her reasonable efforts to effectuate this Settlement
Agreement.
L. No Party is the Drafter: None of the Parties to this Settlement Agreement shall be
considered to be the primary drafter of this Settlement Agreement or any provision hereof for the
purpose of any rule of interpretation or construction that might cause any provision to be
construed against the drafter.
M. Computation of Time: In computing any period of time prescribed or allowed by
this Settlement Agreement, the provisions of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 6 shall govern.
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 49D4F775-1DD9-4505-9E31-A8292EAD967F
59
N. Signatures: The signatories to this Settlement Agreement may execute it in
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original. Signatures may be provided
electronically, via facsimile, or in PDF.
By:_______________________________ Dated: November ___, 2019.

Brandon Leidel

Marc A. Wites, Wites Law Firm

David C. Silver, Silver Law Group
COINBASE, INC.
By:_______________________________ Dated: November ___,

26 2019.
Name: Brian Brooks
Title: Chief Legal Officer

Laura A. Stoll, Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel
RECEIVER
By:________________________________ Dated: November ___, 2019

James Sallah, in his capacity as Receiver and on
behalf of the Receivership Estate, as to only the
Release contained in this Settlement Agreement

Marc A. Wites, Receiver’s Counsel
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N. Signatures: The signatories to this Settlement Agreement may execute it in
counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original. Signatures may be provided
electronically, via facsimile, or in PDF.

Brandon Leidel

Marc A. Wites, Wites Law Firm

David C. Silver, Silver Miller
COINBASE, INC.
Name: Brian Brooks
Title: Chief Legal Officer
By:_______________________________ 27 2019.
Dated: November ___,
Laura A. Stoll, Defendant Coinbase’s Counsel
RECEIVER
By:________________________________ Dated: November ___, 2019

James Sallah, in his capacity as Receiver and on
behalf of the Receivership Estate, as to only the
Release contained in this Settlement Agreement

Marc A. Wites, Receiver’s Counsel
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Exh. A
Your claim must
be submitted or COINBASE
PROOF OF CLAIM AND RELEASE
postmarked by:
________, 2020

BRANDON LEIDEL, CASE NO. 9:16-cv-81992-MARRA

individually, and on behalf of all
others similarly situated,
Plaintiff,
v.

Defendant.
/
I. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
IF YOU DID NOT MAKE A CLAIM IN THE CRYPTSY SETTLEMENT FROM THE
CLASS ACTION STYLED Leidel, et al. v. Project Investors, Inc. d/b/a CRYPTSY, Paul Vernon,
and Lorie Ann Nettles, Case No. 9:16-cv-80060-MARRA (the “Cryptsy Case”)
1. To recover as a Member of the Class based on your claims in this action entitled Leidel et al.
v. Coinbase, Inc., (the “Coinbase Litigation”), you must complete and, on page __ hereof, sign this Proof
of Claim and Release form, and include the required supporting documents. If you fail to submit a timely
and properly addressed (as set forth in paragraph 5 below) Proof of Claim and Release form, your claim
may be rejected and you may not receive any recovery from the Net Settlement Fund created in connection
with the proposed settlement.
IF YOUR CLAIM IN THE CRYPTSY CASE WAS REJECTED
2. To recover as a Member of the Class based on your claims in this action entitled Leidel et al.
v. Coinbase, Inc., (the “Coinbase Litigation”), you must complete and, on page __ hereof, sign this Proof
of Claim and Release form, and include all supporting documents that you did not submit in the Cryptsy
Case. If you do not submit any additional, new supporting documents, your claim will be rejected. If you
fail to submit a timely and properly addressed (as set forth in paragraph 5 below) Proof of Claim and
Release form, your claim may be rejected and you may not receive any recovery from the Net Settlement
Fund created in connection with the proposed settlement.
IF YOUR CLAIM IN THE CRYPTSY CASE WAS APPROVED AND PAID
3. To recover as a Member of the Class based on your claims in this action entitled Leidel et al. v.
Coinbase, Inc., (the “Coinbase Litigation”), you need not take any action. You do not have to submit a Claim
Form in order to receive a payment in this settlement. 1The approved claim that you submitted in the Cryptsy
ACTIVE/101483640.2
59
Case will be deemed approved in this case, and you will receive a settlement payment in this Coinbase
Litigation, provided that the Court approves the settlement.
4. Submission of this Proof of Claim and Release form, however, does not assure that you will
share in the proceeds of the settlement of the Coinbase Litigation.
5. YOU MUST MAIL OR SUBMIT ONLINE YOUR COMPLETED AND SIGNED

PROOF OF CLAIM AND RELEASE FORM, ACCOMPANIED BY COPIES OF THE
DOCUMENTS REQUESTED HEREIN, NO LATER THAN ________, 2020, ADDRESSED AS
FOLLOWS:
Coinbase Claims
Administrator
1801 Market Street, Suite 660
Philadelphia, PA 19103
2
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If you are NOT a Member of the Class (as defined in the Notice of Proposed Settlement of Class
Action (“Notice”), or if you submitted an approved and paid claim in the Cryptsy Case, DO NOT submit
a Proof of Claim and Release form.
6. If you are a Member of the Class and you did not timely request exclusion in response
to the Notice of Proposed Settlement dated _________, 2019, you are bound by the terms of any
judgment entered in the Coinbase Litigation, including the releases provided therein, WHETHER
OR NOT YOU SUBMIT A PROOF OF CLAIM AND RELEASE FORM.
II. CLAIMANT IDENTIFICATION

You may submit a Claim if you are a member of the Class. You are a member of the Class if at
any time between November 1, 2015 and the present, you were a Cryptsy account holder, and held at
Cryptsy Bitcoins, alternative cryptocurrencies, or any other form of monies or currency that you are
unable to access, trade or otherwise obtain. (You are not a Class Member, and cannot make a claim, if
you are or were an employee of Cryptsy, including its shareholders, officers and directors and members
of their immediate families, or if you opened an account at Cryptsy after the date that Coinbase closed the
Coinbase accounts of Cryptsy and Paul Vernon, which was October 4, 2015.)
Use Part A of this form entitled “Claimant Identification” to identify yourself.
You must sign this claim. Executors, administrators, guardians, conservators, and trustees must
complete and sign this claim on behalf of persons represented by them and their authority must
accompany this claim and their titles or capacities must be stated. Failure to provide the foregoing
information could delay verification of your claim or result in rejection of the claim.
III. CLAIM FORM
Use Part B of this form entitled “Schedule of Holdings” to supply all required details of your
holdings at Cryptsy between November 1, 2015 and the present. If you need more space or additional
schedules, attach separate sheets giving all of the required information in substantially the same form.
Sign and print or type your name on each additional sheet.
On the schedules, provide all of the requested information with respect to all of your holdings.
You must also provide proof of your holdings, such as an account statement, screen shots, trade
verifications or other documents that establish that you held such cryptocurrency at Cryptsy between
November 1, 2015 and the present. Failure to report all such transactions may result in the rejection
of your claim.
NOTICE REGARDING ELECTRONIC FILES: Certain claimants with large numbers of

transactions may request, or may be requested, to submit information regarding their transactions in
electronic files. All claimants MUST submit a manually signed paper Proof of Claim and Release form
whether or not they also submit electronic copies. If you wish to file your claim electronically, you must
contact the Claims Administrator at 1-888-868-4936 to obtain the required file layout. No electronic
files will be considered to have been properly submitted unless the Claims Administrator issues to the
claimant a written acknowledgment of receipt and acceptance of electronically submitted data.
3
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Your claim must

be submitted or PROOF OF CLAIM AND RELEASE COINBASE
postmarked by:
_____, 2020
PART A: CLAIMANT IDENTIFICATION
LAST NAME FIRST NAME M.I.
TELEPHONE NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS
U.S. RESIDENT
ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR TAXPAYER ID
FOREIGN CLAIMANT
ADDRESS CITY FOREIGN PROVINCE
FOREIGN POSTAL CODE FOREIGN COUNTRY NAME/ABBREVIATION
Passport Number or Personal Identification Number, and country DATE OF BIRTH

where issued. Please provide a complete copy of your passport (Day/Month/Year)
and any other personal identification you may have.
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PART B: SCHEDULE OF HOLDINGS AT CRYPTSY
TYPE OF CRYPTOCURRENCY DATE PURCHASED/ QUANTITY HELD

QUANTITY PURCHASED BETWEEN 11/1/2015 AND
THE PRESENT DATE
Please identify any redemptions, returns, transfers or any other return or recovery of money or
cryptocurrencies that you have already received associated with your holdings at Cryptsy held between
November 1, 2015 and the present. Such would include, but not be limited to, recoveries from claims
and/or lawsuits that you threatened or filed, or any other source. For each return/recovery of money or
cryptocurrencies, provide the date you received same, from whom you received same, and the amount
of money or cryptocurrencies recovered/returned.
Date Amount From Whom Did You Receive
IV. SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION OF COURT AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I (We) submit this Proof of Claim and Release under the terms of the Settlement Agreement
described in the Notice. I (We) also submit to the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the
Southern District of Florida, with respect to my (our) claim as a Class Member and for purposes of
enforcing the release set forth herein. I (We) further acknowledge that I am (we are) bound by and
subject to the terms of any judgment that may be entered in the Coinbase Litigation. I (We) agree
to furnish additional information to the Claims Administrator to support this claim if requested to do
so. I (We) have not submitted any other claim covering the same Cryptsy holdings and know of no other
person having done so on my (our) behalf.
V. RELEASE
1. I (We) hereby acknowledge full and complete satisfaction of, and do hereby fully, finally,
completely, and forever settle, release, and discharge all Released Claims against the “Released Party,”
which means Defendant Coinbase and its past, present, and future parents, predecessors, successors,
partners, assigns, joint venturers, subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, and each and all of their respective
owners, investors, shareholders, officers, directors, vendors, employees, attorneys, insurers, and agents
(alleged or actual), but expressly excludes Paul Vernon and the Cryptsy Defendants (including without
limitation natural persons, firms, corporations, officers, directors, shareholders, limited liability
companies, members, managers, joint ventures, joint stock companies, unincorporated organizations,
agencies, bodies, associations, partnerships, limited liability partnerships, partners, and their
predecessors, successors, administrators, executors, heirs and assigns).
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2. “Released Claims” means any individual, class, representative, group or collective claim,
liability, right, demand, suit, matter, obligation, damage, loss, action or cause of action, of every kind
and description, that a Releasing Party has or may have, including assigned claims, whether known or
unknown, suspected or unsuspected, asserted or unasserted, latent or patent, contingent or noncontingent,
that is, has been, could have been or in the future might be asserted by the Releasing Party either in the
Court or any other court or forum, regardless of legal theory, regardless of the source of law (federal, state,
local, or international, and whether based upon common law or a statute or ordinance) and regardless of
the type of relief or amount of damages claimed, against any of the Released Parties, arising from or
related to the allegations in the Coinbase Litigation occurring, the conduct of the Cryptsy Defendants,
or the accounts on the Coinbase platform that were owned or controlled, in whole or in part, by any of the
Cryptsy Defendants, and occurring prior to the Effective Date. The Released Claims include, but are not
limited to, claims that any Released Party (a) aided and abetted any unlawful conduct of the Cryptsy
Defendants; (b) conspired with the Cryptsy Defendants; (c) violated any duty under any source of law or
otherwise was negligent in relation to the accounts on the Coinbase platform that were owned or controlled,
in whole or in part, by any of the Cryptsy Defendants; or (d) was unjustly enriched in connection with the
accounts on the Coinbase platform that were owned or controlled, in whole or in part, by any of the Cryptsy
Defendants.
3. This release shall be of no force or effect unless and until the Court approves the
Settlement Agreement and the Settlement Agreement becomes effective on the Effective Date (as
defined in the Settlement Agreement).
4. I (We) hereby warrant and represent that I (we) have not assigned or transferred or
purported to assign or transfer, voluntarily or involuntarily, any matter released pursuant to this release
or any other part or portion thereof.
A. I (We) hereby warrant and represent that I (we) have included the information requested
about all of Cryptsy holdings which are the subject of this claim.
B. I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that all
of the foregoing information supplied on this Proof of Claim and Release form by the undersigned is true
and correct.
Executed this day of in

(city, state zip)
(Sign your name here) (Sign your name here)
(Type or print your name here) (Type or print your name here)
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Capacity of Person Signing Capacity of Person Signing

(e.g., Beneficial Purchaser, Executor or (e.g., Beneficial Purchaser, Executor or
Administrator) Administrator)
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ACCURATE CLAIMS PROCESSING TAKES A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
REMINDER CHECKLIST
1. Please sign the above release and declaration.

2. If this Claim is being made on behalf of Joint Claimants, then both must sign.
3. Remember to attach copies of supporting documentation.
4. Do not send original documents.
5. Keep a copy of your claim form and all supporting documentation for your records.
6. If you desire an acknowledgment of receipt of your claim form, please send it Certified Mail,
Return Receipt Requested.
7. If you move, please send your new address to the address below.
8. Do not use red pen or highlighter on the Proof of Claim and Release form or supporting
documentation.
THIS PROOF OF CLAIM AND RELEASE MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE, OR IF MAILED,
POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN _______, 2020 ADDRESSED AS FOLLOWS:
COINBASE CLAIMS
ADMINISTRATOR ATTN: PROOF OF
CLAIM
1801 MARKET STREET, SUITE 660
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103
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Exh. B
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
NOTICE OF PROPOSED SETTLEMENT OF CLASS ACTION,

FAIRNESS HEARING, AND RIGHT TO APPEAR
If you were a CRYPTSY account holder and are unable to access your
CRYPTOCURRENCY, you could get money from
this class action settlement against Coinbase, Inc.
Please read this notice carefully.

A federal court authorized this notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer.
Overview
This Notice describes a settlement of a class action lawsuit against Coinbase, and how you can get money
from the settlement or exclude yourself from the settlement. Your legal rights are affected whether you act
or don’t act. Read this notice carefully.
Background
• On December 13, 2016, a class action lawsuit was filed against Defendant Coinbase, Inc., in the United States
District Court for the Southern District of Florida (the “Coinbase Case”). The Honorable Kenneth A. Marra is
the presiding judge. Judge Marra also presided over the previously filed and related class action against Project
Investors, Inc. d/b/a Cryptsy (“Cryptsy”) styled Leidel, et al. v. Project Investors, Inc. d/b/a CRYPTSY, Paul
Vernon, and Lorie Ann Nettles, Case No. 9:16-cv-80060-MARRA (the “Cryptsy Case”).
• The Cryptsy Case was based on the unlawful conduct of Cryptsy and its founder, Paul Vernon, including their
theft of the cryptocurrencies of the Cryptsy account holders. Mr. Vernon closed Cryptsy, moved to China,
refused to participate in the Cryptsy Case or return the cryptocurrency that he stole from Cryptsy account
holders, and is not known to have returned to The United States. A Class Action Settlement was obtained in
the Cryptsy Case, which was approved by Judge Marra. You can read about the completed Cryptsy Settlement
at www.cryptsysettlement.com
• This Notice is about the Coinbase Case, which was brought on behalf of
Cryptsy account holders in an effort to recover additional monies for them. The Coinbase Case is based on
allegations that Cryptsy and Mr. Vernon stole the cryptocurrencies of Cryptsy account holders and that
Defendant Coinbase unlawfully aided and abetted Cryptsy and Vernon in their theft by allowing them to have
accounts on the Coinbase platform that they used, among things, to convert bitcoin to U.S. dollars.
• After almost three years of litigation, which included (but was not limited to) an appeal to the United States
Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, 16 depositions of, among others, present and former employees of
Coinbase and Cryptsy, motions to compel, expert witness discovery, and the briefing of motions for summary
judgment and class certification, the parties reached a class action settlement of the Coinbase Case with the
assistance in mediation of Judge (Retired) Howard A. Tescher.
• The purpose of this notice is to advise you of your rights with respect to the Coinbase settlement.
• If you are a Class Member and you submitted an approved claim in the class action settlement in the Cryptsy
Case (i.e., you received a settlement payment in the Cryptsy Case), you do not have to take any action to submit
a claim in this Coinbase Case. Your approved claim from the Cryptsy Case will be reviewed in this Coinbase
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Case, and you will receive a settlement payment in this Class Action Settlement, provided that the Court
approves the settlement, as explained below.
• If you did not submit a claim in the Cryptsy Case, or if your claim in the Cryptsy Case was rejected, you may
submit a claim in the Coinbase Case. If you submitted a claim in the Cryptsy Case and your claim was rejected,
you must submit a claim form in this Coinbase Case but you need not resubmit any of the supporting materials
you submitted with your Cryptsy Claim; you need only submit in this Coinbase Case any additional documents
and materials to support your claim.
• This is not a lawsuit against you. Your participation in this lawsuit or acceptance of money from the
settlement will not affect your employment status or compensation in any way.
• Please read this Notice carefully. This Notice explains your legal rights and options—and the deadlines
to exercise them. Your legal rights will be affected whether you act or don’t act, and you have choices to
make now.
SUMMARY OF YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS
DO NOTHING If you did not make a claim in the Cryptsy case, or if you made a claim in the
Cryptsy Case that was rejected, and you do nothing in this Coinbase Settlement,
you will not get a payment from this settlement. You give up your rights to ever
recover from Coinbase for the legal claims in this case if the settlement is approved.
If you made a claim in the Cryptsy Case that was approved and paid, you do not
have to take any action. Your Cryptsy claim will be deemed approved and will be paid
if this settlement is approved.
EXCLUDE YOURSELF Get no payment from the settlement. This is the only way that you can file your own
FROM THE lawsuit or ever be part of any other lawsuit about the legal claims in this case against
SETTLEMENT Coinbase.
SUBMIT A CLAIM If you did not submit a claim in the Cryptsy Case or if your claim in the
FORM FOR YOUR Cryptsy Case was rejected, the only way to receive money from the
SHARE OF THE settlement when the funds are distributed is by submitting a claim form
SETTLEMENT by _______, 2020.
OBJECT TO OR Following the instructions in Question 24, write to the Court about why you like or
COMMENT ON THE do not like the settlement by no later than ______, 2020. You may also ask to speak
SETTLEMENT to the Court about your written comments or objections about the fairness of the
settlement at the “Fairness Hearing” on ______, 2020, though you do not have to do so.
To comment on or object to the settlement and request to speak at the “Fairness Hearing,”
you must act before ________, 2020.
GO TO THE COURT’S If you would like, you may ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the settlement if
FAIRNESS HEARING you follow the instructions in Question 24 of this Notice. You do not need to speak to
ABOUT THE the Court to receive benefits under the settlement.
SETTLEMENT
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The above bullet points and charts provide summary information regarding the lawsuit against Coinbase. The
remainder of this Notice is designed to provide more information to help you evaluate your options and answer
any questions that you may have.
The Court in charge of this case still has to approve the settlement. Payments will be made if the Court
approves the settlement and orders that the settlement funds be distributed, and if any appeals of the Court’s
approval of the settlement are resolved in favor of the settlement. Please be patient.
WHAT THIS NOTICE CONTAINS

BASIC INFORMATION ..............................................................................................................................PAGE X
1. Why did I get this Notice?
2. What is this lawsuit about?
3. Why is this a class action, and who is involved?
4. Why is there a settlement?
5. What if I made a claim in the Cryptsy Case and received a Settlement Payment?
6. What if I made a claim in the Cryptsy Case and did not receive a Settlement Payment?
7. What if I did not make a claim in the Cryptsy Case?
WHO IS IN THE SETTLEMENT AND THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT? .....................................................PAGE X
8. Am I a Class Member who is part of the settlement?
9. I’m still not sure if I am included.
10. Is the Receiver from the Cryptsy Case involved in this settlement?
11. What are my rights as a Class Member?
THE SETTLEMENT BENEFITS.................................................................................................................. PAGE X
12. What does the settlement provide?
13. How much money can I get from the settlement?
SUBMITTING A CLAIM FORM FOR A SHARE OF THE SETTLEMENT .................................................... PAGE X
14A. How can I get money from the settlement? (For Class Members who submitted approved and paid
claims in the Cryptsy Case).
14B How can I get money from the settlement? (For Class Members who submitted a claim in the Cryptsy
Case that was rejected or who did not make a claim in the Cryptsy Case).
15. When will I get my payments?
16. What am I giving up to get payments under the settlement?
THE LAWYERS REPRESENTING YOU .................................................................................................... PAGE X
17. Who represents me in this case?
18. Should I get my own lawyer?
19. How will the lawyers be paid?
EXCLUDING YOURSELF FROM THE SETTLEMENT ............................................................................. PAGE X
20. How do I get out of the settlement?
EXCLUDING YOURSELF FROM THE ONGOING LAWSUIT ..................................................................... PAGE X

21. How do I get out of the ongoing lawsuit?
22. If I don’t exclude myself, can I sue the Defendant for the same thing later?
23. If I exclude myself, can I get money from this case?
COMMENTING ON OR OBJECTING TO THE SETTLEMENT................................................................. PAGE X
24. How do I tell the Court that I like or don’t like a proposed
settlement, and may I speak at the hearing?
25. What is the difference between objecting and excluding?
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THE COURT’S FAIRNESS HEARING ....................................................................................................... PAGE X
26. When and where will the Court decide whether to approve the settlement?
27. Do I have to come to the Fairness Hearing?
28. May I speak at the hearing?
IF YOU DO NOTHING ............................................................................................................................... PAGE X
29. What happens if I do nothing at all?
GETTING MORE INFORMATION ............................................................................................................... PAGE X
30. Are more details about the settlement and the lawsuit available?
31. How do I get more information?
BASIC INFORMATION
1. Why did I get this Notice?

You received this Notice because records recovered from Cryptsy indicate you may have had a Cryptsy
Account, you requested a copy of the Notice through a toll-free number or contacted the lawyers involved in this
case or the Claims Administrator.
The Court directed the parties to send you this Notice because Class Members have the right to know
about the settlement of this class action lawsuit, and about their legal rights and options, before the
Court holds a “Fairness Hearing” to decide whether to grant final approval of the settlement.
This Notice explains the lawsuit, the settlement, and your legal rights. It also explains what benefits from the
settlement will be available, when they will be available, who is eligible for them, and how to obtain them. If
the Court approves the settlement and orders that the settlement funds be distributed and if any appeals of the
Court’s approval of the settlement is resolved in favor of the settlement, an administrator appointed by the Court
will make the payments that the settlement allows.
The Court has preliminarily approved the settlement. If you are a Class Member, you have legal rights and
options that you may exercise before the Court considers whether it will grant final approval to the proposed
settlement at the “Fairness Hearing.” The Court will hold the Fairness Hearing on _______, 2020, to decide
whether the proposed settlement is fair, reasonable, and provides adequate compensation and benefits to the
members of the Class.
If you wish to comment on (including object to) or exclude yourself from the settlement, you must do so
following the procedures described below. If you do nothing, you will not receive any money from the
settlement, but you will be bound by any final judgment.
2. What is this lawsuit about?
On December 13, 2016, Plaintiff filed this class action on behalf of himself against Coinbase. The Coinbase Case
was brought on behalf of account holders in a cryptocurrency exchange known as “Cryptsy”. Cryptsy operated an
online business for customers to exchange, invest, and trade in digital cryptocurrencies, such as “Bitcoin” and
“Litecoin.” Cryptsy customers, including Plaintiff and the Class, deposited their digital currency in accounts held
at, and purportedly protected and managed by, Cryptsy. In the Cryptsy Case, Plaintiffs alleged that Cryptsy and
its founder, Paul Vernon, acted unlawfully by denying the Class the ability to withdraw or use the funds in their
accounts and by stealing for their own use and benefit the digital currency held in the Cryptsy customer accounts.
A settlement was reached in the Cryptsy Case, which was approved by the same Court presiding over this Coinbase
Case.
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The Coinbase Case alleges that Coinbase unlawfully aided and abetted the conduct of Cryptsy and Vernon by
allowing them to have accounts on the Coinbase platform or that Coinbase was negligent by, for example, failing
to employ proper due diligence and other supervisory procedures over the accounts that Cryptsy and Vernon
controlled on the Coinbase platform. The Coinbase Case also alleges that Cryptsy and Vernon used their accounts
on the Coinbase platform to convert to U.S. Dollars the cryptocurrency that Cryptsy and Vernon allegedly stole
from the Cryptsy account holders who are the Class Members in this lawsuit. Plaintiff alleged that Coinbase knew
or should have known that Cryptsy and Vernon were engaged in such unlawful conduct, and assisted Cryptsy and
Vernon by allowing them to open and maintain accounts on the Coinbase platform
.
Coinbase denied these allegations, and contended that it did not know about any of the alleged theft, did not have
any reason to know of the alleged theft, and did not have any legal responsibility for the alleged actions of Cryptsy
and Vernon.
To obtain more information about the claims and defenses in this lawsuit, you can view the complaint, the answer,
and other court documents in this case at www.coinbasesettlement.com.
3. Why is this a class action, and who is involved?

In a class action, one or more people called “class representatives” sue on behalf of themselves and other people
who have similar claims. The people with similar claims are a “Class” and are called “Class Members.” Named
Plaintiff Brandon Leidel, who had a Cryptsy account, is the Class Representative in this case. The Class Members
include other Cryptsy account holders, as described more fully in this notice. Plaintiffs and Defendant Coinbase
have agreed to settle this class action, and agreed for purposes of settlement that the case should proceed as a
class action, subject to the Court’s approval.
4. Why is there a settlement?

The Court has not found in favor of Plaintiff or Defendant. While the lawsuit is still pending before the United
States District Court, Plaintiff and Coinbase have agreed to a settlement which, if it is approved, will bring the
claims against Coinbase to an end. That way, Plaintiff and Coinbase avoid the uncertainty of continuing the
case between them and the cost of further litigation, and Class Members will get the benefits of the settlement.
The Class Representative and his attorneys think the settlement is best for everyone who allegedly was harmed
by Coinbase’s alleged conduct, given the payment to be made available to Class members and the uncertainty of
how the claims and defenses would be resolved in the event that the litigation continued.
5. What if I made a claim in the Cryptsy Case and received a Settlement Payment?
If (a) you made a claim in the Cryptsy Case, (b) your claim was approved, and (c) you received a settlement
payment, you need not take any action to submit a claim in this Coinbase Settlement. Your claim from the Cryptsy
Settlement will be deemed approved and paid in this Coinbase Case, provided that the Court approves the
settlement.
6. What if I made a claim in the Cryptsy Case and did not receive a Settlement Payment?
If (a) you made a claim in the Cryptsy Case, (b) your claim was not approved, and (c) you did not receive a
settlement payment, you must submit a claim to receive any payment from this Coinbase Case. To submit a claim
in this Coinbase Case, you must properly and timely submit the Claim Form. You need not include with your
Claim Form any supporting materials that you submitted with your Claim Form in the Cryptsy Case, but to receive
a payment in this Coinbase Case you must submit additional materials to satisfy the requirements for the
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submission of a valid claim. If you do not submit any additional supporting materials, your claim in this Coinbase
Case will not be approved.
7. What if I did not make a claim in the Cryptsy Case?

You must submit a claim in this Coinbase Case to receive any payment from this Coinbase Case if you did not
submit a claim in the Cryptsy Case. You should fully complete and timely submit a Claim Form in this Coinbase
Case and include with your Claim Form all required supporting materials.
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WHO IS IN THE SETTLEMENT AND THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT?
8. Am I a Class Member who is part of the settlement?

In general, individuals who are Cryptsy account owners who held Bitcoin, alternative cryptocurrencies, or any
other form of monies or currency at Cryptsy as of November 1, 2015, and are unable to access their
cryptocurrency may be Class Members who are eligible for a payment from the settlement when the funds are
distributed. (Excluded from the Class are all employees of Cryptsy, including its shareholders, officers and
directors and members of their immediate families, as well as any person or entity that opened an account at
Cryptsy after the date that Coinbase closed the accounts of Cryptsy and Paul Vernon on the Coinbase platform,
which are known as the Cryptsy, Vernon and Mintsy accounts, which was October 4, 2015.)
9. I’m still not sure if I am included.

If you received this Notice, you contacted Class Counsel and provided information that indicates that you may
be a potential Class Member, or your contact information was discovered in records of Cryptsy dated as of
January 1, 2014. If you are still not sure whether you are included, you can get help at
www.coinbasesettlement.com or by calling 1-888-XXX-XXXX.
10. Is the Receiver from the Cryptsy Case involved in this settlement?
A Receiver is a person appointed by the Court to typically preserve the assets and property of a company in
financial distress or subject to claims of wrongdoing. In the Cryptsy case, the Court appointed a Receiver at the
request of Plaintiffs and their lawyers (known as Class Counsel, as described below). Plaintiffs filed a motion in
the Cryptsy Case to ask the Court to appoint a Receiver because Plaintiffs wanted to ensure that Cryptsy, Paul
Vernon and others did not attempt to hide, sell or otherwise keep from Plaintiffs and the Class monies and assets
to satisfy any judgment obtained in that case, and likewise to recover monies and assets for the benefit of the
Class. The Receiver is not a party in the Coinbase Case but he agrees that this settlement is in the best interest of
the Class and he is, as part of the settlement, releasing claims of the Receivership Estate against Coinbase.
11. What are my rights as a Class Member?
If you submitted a claim in the Cryptsy Case that was approved and paid, you have the right to (1) do
nothing, in which case your Cryptsy Claim will be deemed approved, processed and paid in this Coinbase Case
provided that the Court approves the settlement, (2) submit any additional materials that you believe show that
you had more cryptocurrency in your Cryptsy Account than you submitted with your Cryptsy Claim, (3) exclude
yourself from the settlement (see Question 20), (4) comment on or object to the settlement (see Question 24),
and/or (5) attend the Court’s Fairness Hearing to speak in support of or against the Court’s final approval of the
settlement (see Question 28).
If you submitted a claim in the Cryptsy Case that was rejected or if you did not submit a claim in the
Cryptsy Case, you have the right to (1) do nothing, in which case you will not receive a payment and will waive
any rights to pursue a lawsuit of your own against Coinbase and the other parties released in the settlement, (2) submit
a Claim Form to receive a payment from the Settlement Funds (see Question 14), (3) exclude yourself from
the settlement (see Question 20), (4) comment on or object to the settlement (see Question 24), and/or (5) attend
the Court’s Fairness Hearing to speak in support of or against the Court’s final approval of the settlement (see
Question 28).
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THE SETTLEMENT BENEFITS
Plaintiff, the Class and Coinbase entered a Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement is available
for your review at www.coinbasesettlement.com. You can also review the Settlement Agreement by visiting
www.pacer.gov, or by contacting the Clerk of Court. The following pages provide a summary of the Settlement
Agreement, and your rights and options under the Settlement Agreement.
12. What does the settlement provide?
Coinbase has agreed to create a Settlement Fund of $962,500. After deducting attorneys’ fees, costs, applicable
taxes, and other monies, fees and expenses (see Question 19), the Settlement Fund will be distributed to Class
Members who file valid claims.
As a Settlement Class Member, you will give up, or “release,” your claims against Coinbase. The release
includes any claims made or that could have been made arising from or related to the facts alleged in this
lawsuit. The releases are described in more detail in the Settlement Agreement and in Question 16 below.
13. How much money can I get from the settlement?

Class Members who submitted a valid claim in the Cryptsy Case or who submit a valid Claim Form in this
Coinbase Case are called “claimants” and will be eligible to receive a share of the Settlement Fund if and when
the Settlement Fund is distributed. The Claims Administrator, with the assistance of Class Counsel, determined
in the Cryptsy Case the market value, as of November 1, 2015, of the cryptocurrency(ies) held by Class Members
that submitted valid claims. The same valuation and plan of allocation approved by the Court in the Cryptsy Case
will be used in this Coinbase Case. Each Class Member submitting a valid claim shall be allocated a pro rata
share of the Net Settlement Fund based on his, her or its claim compared to the total number of valid claims, but
in no event will any Class Member receive more than 100 percent of the Class Member’s unreimbursed losses or
damages from the Net Settlement Fund. There is no way to determine, in advance, how many Class Members
will make claims from the Net Settlement Fund. Class Members who do not submit valid claims will not share in
the proceeds of the Net Settlement Funds, but will nevertheless be bound by this Settlement.
The proposed Plan of Allocation is contained in the Settlement Agreement which is available for review at
www.coinbasesettlement.com, and will be presented for approval by the Court at the Fairness Hearing (see
Question 26).
SUBMITTING A CLAIM FORM FOR A SHARE OF THE SETTLEMENT
14(A). How can I get money from the settlement? (For Class Members who submitted approved and paid
claims in the Cryptsy Case).
payment, you need not take any action to submit a claim and get money in this Coinbase Case. Your claim from
the Cryptsy Case will be , deemed approved and paid in this Coinbase Case, provided that the Court approves the
settlement. (If you wish to submit additional materials that show that you had more cryptocurrency at Cryptsy
than you submitted with your Cryptsy Claim, you may do so by submitting a new Claim Form and the new
supporting materials).
14(B). How can I get money from the settlement? (For Class Members who submitted a claim in the Cryptsy
Case that was rejected or who did not submit a claim in the Cryptsy Case).
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IF YOUR CLAIM IN THE CRYPTSY CASE WAS REJECTED, OR IF YOU DID NOT MAKE A CLAIM IN
THE CRYPTSY CASE, YOU MUST DO THE FOLLOWING TO GET MONEY FROM THIS
SETTLEMENT.
If you fall within the Class definition, you may receive money from the settlement.
To receive money from the settlement, you must complete and submit a Claim Form, either online at
www.coinbasesettlement.com, or by mail. A copy of the Claim Form is included with this Notice. Please read
this Notice and the Claim Form carefully. You must either complete and submit the form online no later than
______, 2020, or complete the included form manually, sign it, and mail it postmarked no later than
________, 2020, to the Claims Administrator at the address listed in the Claim Form. If necessary, you may
download and print out a Claim Form from the website
www.coinbasesettlement.com.
Please note that the Claim Form must be signed. By signing your Claim Form, you will be swearing that
the information you submit is true and accurate. You will also be authorizing the Claims Administrator to contact
you for more information to help evaluate your Claim.
IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR SIGNED CLAIM FORM WITH THE REQUIRED SUPPORTING
DOCUMENTS BY THIS DEADLINE, YOU WILL BE DEEMED TO HAVE WAIVED YOUR RIGHT
TO RECEIVE ANY PAYMENT FROM THE SETTLEMENT FUND.
As part of your Claim, you should provide as much documentation as you can supporting your claim, including
your status as a Cryptsy account holder and specifically the type and amount of cryptocurrency you held at
Cryptsy as of November 1, 2015 and which you can no longer access. All information provided will be treated
as confidential and will be used only for the purpose of reviewing and administering your Claim.
Examples of documentation you might have to support your claim include screen shots of your holdings at
Cryptsy or account statements. You may have other types of supporting documentation. You should submit
whatever you have. Please note that it appears that Paul Vernon or someone under his direction destroyed all of
Cryptsy’s database records and, as a result, the only way to establish your claim is through your submission of
records that evidence your ownership of cryptocurrency held at Cryptsy as of November 1, 2015. Class Counsel
asked Vernon to provide copies of the records that show all of the holdings of the Class, and likewise continue
to search for such records. To date, Vernon has failed to respond to or comply with such requests.
If there is a balance remaining in the Settlement Fund 180 days after the last check is issued to pay all valid
Claims , the Claims Administrator will, if feasible, distribute any remaining balance by way of pro rata payments
to Class Members who submitted valid Claims and who cashed their checks, but in no event will any Class
Member receive more than 100 percent of the Class Member’s unreimbursed losses or damages from the Net
Settlement Fund. Thereafter, any remaining balance, if any, will revert and be paid to Coinbase.
If you have any problems with the Claim Form or questions about how to submit your claim, please call the
Claims Administrator at the telephone number printed at the bottom of this page.
15. When will I get my payments?

The Court will hold a final Fairness Hearing on _______, 2020 to decide whether to approve the settlement. If
the Court approves the settlement, there still may be appeals of that decision. If an appeal is filed, it is hard to
estimate how long it might take for it to be resolved, but it can take a lot of time, perhaps more than a year.
Settlement payments to Settlement Class Members will be distributed if the settlement is approved, and after
appeals, if any, are resolved.
ACTIVE/101483592.1 9
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Updates regarding the settlement and when payments may be made will be posted on the settlement website,
www.coinbasesettlement.com.
16. What am I giving up to get a payment under the settlement?

If you are a Class Member, unless you exclude yourself from the settlement, you are staying in the Class, and
that means that you can’t sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuit against Coinbase about the legal
claims in this case. It also means that all of the Court’s orders will apply to you and legally bind you, and
that you agree to the “Releases of Claims” contained in the Settlement Agreement, which describe exactly
the legal claims that you give up if you get settlement benefits.
You may view the release in the Settlement Agreement at www.coinbasesettlement.com.
By participating in this settlement, you are not giving up your right to receive payments from any
future settlements, monies obtained from, and/or or a trial against, Cryptsy’s founder Paul Vernon, or
any other person or entity, with the exception of Coinbase and the other persons and entities covered
by the release in the Settlement Agreement.
ACTIVE/101483592.1 10
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THE LAWYERS REPRESENTING YOU
17. Who represents me in this case?

The Court appointed the law firms of Wites Law Firm and Silver Miller Law to represent you and other Class
Members. Their contact information is as follows:
Marc A. Wites David C. Silver
WITES LAW FIRM SILVER MILLER
4400 N. Federal Highway 11780 W. Sample Road
Lighthouse Point, Florida 33064 Coral Springs, Florida 33065
Phone: 954-570-8989 Phone: (954) 755-4799
mwites@witeslaw.com dsilver@silvermillerlaw.com
These lawyers are called Co-Lead Counsel and Class Counsel. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer,
you may hire one at your own expense and enter an appearance through your own counsel.
18. Should I get my own lawyer?

You do not need to hire your own lawyer because Plaintiffs’ Counsel are working on your behalf. If you want
your own lawyer, you may hire one, but you will be responsible for any payment for that lawyer’s services. For
example, you can ask your lawyer to appear in Court for you if you want someone other than Plaintiffs’ Counsel
to speak for you. You may also appear for yourself without a lawyer.
19. How will the lawyers be paid?

The Settlement Agreement authorizes Co-Lead Counsel to seek an award of attorney’s fees of up to 33.33% of
the Settlement Fund, plus expenses and costs, which also will be paid from the Settlement Fund.
In addition, Co-Lead Counsel will ask the Court to award Plaintiff Brandon Leidel in this Action a service award
of $2,500 for his time and effort in acting as the Class Representative. Mr. Leidel participated in this case in
many ways, such as reviewing and approving documents filed in the case, responding to discovery requests,
producing documents, attending a full-day deposition, and attending mediation. The Service Award shall be
paid when the Settlement Funds are distributed to Class members who have submitted valid claims.
You will not be billed or charged for any of Class Counsel’s fees, costs, or expenses. If the Court grants Counsel’s
requests,
all fees, costs, and expenses will be deducted from any money obtained for the Class.
ACTIVE/101483592.1 11
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EXCLUDING YOURSELF FROM THE SETTLEMENT
20. How do I get out of the settlement?
If you fall within the Class definition but don’t want a payment from the settlement or you want to keep the right
to sue or continue to sue Coinbase (at your own expense) about the legal issues in this case, then you must “opt
out” of the settlement. This is called excluding yourself from, or opting out of, a settlement Class.
To exclude yourself from (opt out of) the settlement, you must send a letter stating that you want to be excluded
from the Coinbase Litigation, Case No.: 9:16-cv-81992. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number,
and your signature. You must mail your exclusion request postmarked no later than ________, 2020 to:
Coinbase Litigation
EXCLUSIONS
Claims Administrator
You cannot exclude yourself on the phone or by fax or e-mail – you must do so in writing. If you request to be
excluded, you will not receive any money from the Settlement, and you cannot object to the Settlement. However,
you will not be legally bound by anything that happens in this lawsuit, and you will keep your right to separately
pursue claims against Defendant Coinbase relating to the subject matter of this lawsuit.
If you ask to be excluded from the settlement, you will not get any payment from the settlement, and you cannot
object to that settlement.
22. If I don’t exclude myself, can I sue Defendant Coinbase for the same thing later?
No. If you are a Class member, unless you exclude yourself from the settlement, you give up the right to sue
Coinbase for the claims that the settlement resolves as more fully described in Question 16 above.
If you have a pending lawsuit against Coinbase, speak to your lawyer in that lawsuit immediately, because you
may need to exclude yourself to continue your own lawsuit. The process for excluding yourself from the
settlement and/or the ongoing lawsuit is described in the preceding sections.
23. If I exclude myself, can I get money from this case?
No. If you exclude yourself from the settlement, you will not receive money under the settlement even if you
submit a Claim Form. But, by excluding yourself, you keep any rights to sue on your own about the same legal
claims in the lawsuit should you want to do so.
ACTIVE/101483592.1 12
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COMMENTING ON OR OBJECTING TO THE SETTLEMENT
24. How do I tell the Court that I like or don’t like a proposed settlement, and may I speak at the hearing?
If you are a Class Member, you can object to the Settlement if you do not like any part of the settlement including
the proposed award of attorneys’ fees and expenses, and the proposed service award to Plaintiff, and the Court
will consider your views. To object, you must send a letter to the Court, Class Counsel, and Defendants’ Counsel
saying that you object to the Settlement in the Coinbase Litigation, Case No.: 9:16-cv-81922. Be sure to include
your name, address, telephone number, your signature, and the reasons you object to the Settlement. You also
must affirm under penalty of perjury that you are a Class Member and provide proof of Class Membership. If you
are represented by counsel, be sure to include the name, address, and telephone number of that lawyer.
Your objection must be mailed to and actually received at all of the following different locations no later
than ______, 2020. Send your objection to:
Clerk of Court: Defendants’ Counsel:
Paul G. Rogers Federal Laura J. Stall
Building and U.S. Courthouse Goodwin Procter LLP
701 Clematis Street, Room 202 601 South Figueroa Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401 41st Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 426-2500
Class Counsel:
Marc A. Wites
Wites Law Firm
4400 N. Federal Highway
Lighthouse Point, Florida 33064
You do not need to attend or speak at the Fairness Hearing (described in Question 26 below) for your
comments or objections to be considered. If you would like to speak at the Fairness Hearing about your
comments or objections to the settlement, you must add to your letter a statement that you intend to appear and
speak at the hearing, for example, by stating “This is my Notice of Intention to Appear in Coinbase Litigation.”
You will have no right to speak at the hearing about the settlement or object if you choose to exclude yourself
from the settlement, because the settlement no longer affects you if you opt out of it.
25. What is the difference between objecting and excluding?

Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You can object only if you
stay in the Class. If you object, you will remain in the Class and will be bound by the proposed Settlement if
the Court approves the Settlement, despite your objection. If you object, you can also participate in the Settlement
benefits described above. Excluding yourself is telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Class or
the lawsuit. You cannot request exclusion and object to the Settlement. If you exclude yourself, you have no
basis to object because the case no longer affects you. Class Members who do exclude themselves may, if they
wish, enter an appearance through their own counsel.
ACTIVE/101483592.1 13
59
THE COURT’S FAIRNESS
HEARING
The Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the

Settlement.
You may attend, and you may ask to speak, but you don’t have
to.
26. When and where will the Court decide whether to approve the settlement?
The Court will hold a Final Settlement Hearing at __:00 a.m./p.m. on ______, 2020 at the Courtroom of the
Honorable Kenneth A. Marra, Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, 701 Clematis Street,
Courtroom #4, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. The hearing date may be changed by the Court, and you should
check www.coinbasesettlement.com for any updates. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether
the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If there are objections, the Court will consider them. The Court
will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to
approve the Settlement. The Court also may consider how much to award Co-Lead Counsel and the amount of
the service award for Plaintiff. We do not know how long this decision will take.
The Court may reschedule the Fairness Hearing or change any of the deadlines described in this Notice. Be sure
to check the website, www.coinbasesettlement.com for news of any such changes.
27. Do I have to come to the Fairness Hearing?

No. Co-Lead Counsel will answer questions the Court may have. But you are welcome to come at your own
expense. If you submit an objection, you do not have to come to the Court to talk about it. As long as you
delivered your written objection on time, the Court will consider it. You may attend (at your own expense)
or pay your own lawyer to attend, but it is not necessary.
28. May I speak at the hearing?

You may ask the Court for permission to speak at the Final Settlement Hearing. To do so, you must file with the
Court a “Notice of Intention to Appear.” Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, and your
signature. You may be required also to provide proof that you are a Class Member. Your Notice of Intention to
Appear must be filed no later than _ _ _ _ _ _ , 2 0 2 0 , and must be served on the Clerk of the Court,
Co-Lead Counsel, and Defendants’ counsel at the addresses listed in section 24, above. You cannot speak at
the hearing if you exclude yourself.
IF YOU DO
NOTHING
29(A). What happens if I do nothing at all? (For Class Members who submitted approved and paid claims in
the Cryptsy Case).
payment, you need not take any action to submit a claim and get money in this Coinbase Case. Your claim from
the Cryptsy Case will be deemed approved and paid in this Coinbase Case, provided that the Court approves the
settlement. (If you wish to submit additional materials that show that you had more cryptocurrency at Cryptsy
than you submitted with your Cryptsy Claim, you may do so by submitting a new Claim Form and the new
supporting materials).
ACTIVE/101483592.1 14
59
29B What happens if I do nothing at all? (For Class Members who submitted a claim in the Cryptsy Case
that was rejected or who did not submit a Claim in the Cryptsy Case).
If you submitted a claim in the Cryptsy Case that was rejected or if you did not submit a claim in the Cryptsy
Case and you do nothing, you will get no money from the settlement with Coinbase, and claims you have against
Coinbase will be released unless you separately write to exclude yourself (following the instructions in Question
20). This means you won’t be able to collect any money damages from Coinbase in this lawsuit or another
lawsuit for its alleged conduct. To qualify to receive any money from the settlement with Coinbase, you must
submit a Claim Form, following the instructions in Question 14 and in the Claim Form.
GETTING MORE INFORMATION
30. Are more details about the settlement and the lawsuit available?
Yes. This Notice summarizes the settlement. More details about the settlement are in the proposed Settlement
Agreement itself. You can see or print copies of the Settlement Agreement at www.coinbasesettlement.com. More
information about the ongoing class action lawsuit can also be viewed or printed at www.coinbasesettlement.com
31. How do I get more information?

The website www.coinbasesettlement.com provides more information about the lawsuit and the settlement. In
addition, if you have any questions about the lawsuit or this Notice, you may:
Visit the Settlement website at www.coinbasesettlement.com
Visit the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (“PACER”) website: www.pacer.gov to
review the Settlement Agreements by clicking on the “Find a Case” option and searching by
Case Number for 9:16-cv-81992
Contact Co-Lead Class Counsel at:
Marc A. Wites
Wites Law Firm
4400 N. Federal Highway
Lighthouse Point, Florida 33064
(954) 933-4400
Call the Claims Administrator toll free 1-888-xxx-xxxx
Write or fax to:
Coinbase Administrator
Facsimile: 1-215-525-0209
PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT.
YOU SHOULD DIRECT ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THE NOTICE AND/OR
CLAIM FORM TO THE CLAIMS ADMINISTRATOR AND/OR TO PLAINTIFF’S COUNSEL.
You may also seek the advice and counsel of your own attorney at your own expense, if you desire.
ACTIVE/101483592.1 15

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Proposed Settlement Leidel v Coinbase (Cryptsy)

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Case 9:16-cv-81992-KAM Document 143 Entered on FLSD Docket 11/27/2019 Page 1 of 19

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Civil Action No. 9:16-cv-81992-MARRA

BRANDON LEIDEL, individually,

COINBASE, INC., a Delaware corporation

PLAINTIFF’S UNOPPOSED MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY APPROVAL

Defendant Coinbase, a California headquartered cryptocurrency exchange, based on the

Vernon to have accounts on the Coinbase platform. 1

victims of Cryptsy and Paul Vernon.

Cryptsy Case, D.E. 135 at ¶3.

negligent and unjustly enriched by their conduct. D.E. 1

documents, propounding and responding to 34 interrogatories, the taking of 16 depositions in

and the production and exchange of expert reports.

decision at the time of this Settlement Agreement)

7. On September 5, 2019, Class Representative and Defendant attended mediation

the Cryptsy Case Settlement.

Defendant engaged in significant pre-suit discovery and litigation, as explained above.

9. Moreover, as noted above, the proposed Settlement is the result of extensive

10. The Settlement includes a Common Fund of $962,500.00. Notably, Class

may be provided to the Class.

I. The Settlement Class Satisfies the Requirements of Rule 23

Fed.R.Civ.P. 23(e)(2), (e)(1).

factors. Thus, the Court should certify the settlement class.

exhibits in Plaintiff’s Motion for Class Certification.

membership in the Class. Exh. Z.

their membership in the instant Class. Of these Class Member declarations:

at CRYPTSY. Exh. BB1.1-BB1.6.

received from CRYPTSY. Exh. BB2.1-BB2.4; and

iii. 15 submitted declarations attesting to their membership in the CRYPTSY Class,

which is the same as the instant Class. Exh. BB3.

Third, Court-appointed Receiver James Sallah, through his investigation in the

actions. Sallah Dec. at ¶¶3 and 7, Exh. CC.

impracticable, if not impossible). At either end of this spectrum, or anywhere in between,

Plaintiff has satisfied the numerosity requirement.

they converted from the Class.

Tallant, 710 F.2d 711, 717 (11th Cir. 1983).

representation requirement is satisfied.

E. Predominance and Superiority.

criteria set forth in Rule 23(b)(3).

Humana, 382 F.3d 1241, 1269 (11th Cir. 2004).

Ultimately, the question of whether COINBASE is liable for failing to perform

investigate suspicious activities under U.S. anti-money laundering rules.

any individualized questions that may arise.

2. A Class Action Is Superior to Other Available Methods of Adjudicating the

initiative to litigate individually” further compels a finding of superiority. Fabricant v. Sears

First, Defendant would necessarily gain an unconscionable advantage if it were allowed

no other practical method of adjudicating these claims.

II. THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT WARRANTS PRELIMINARY

(determining that “[t]here is an overriding public interest in favor of settlement, particularly in

parties.” Id. at 1379 (citing Cotton, 559 F.2d at 1330).

Judicial review of a proposed class action settlement is a two-step process: preliminary

required to “make a preliminary determination on the fairness, reasonableness, and adequacy of

Class in the Cryptsy Case.

Court in the Cryptsy Case.

and are experienced in complex securities litigation.

approve the Settlement.

III. THE COURT SHOULD APPROVE THE PROPOSED NOTICE AND