Coinbase’s Texas Move Changes the Rules in a Shareholder Lawsuit

By Isaac • October 10, 2026 7:08 pm •

Coinbase’s move from Delaware to Texas has already changed the ground rules for at least one shareholder lawsuit.

The Texas Business Court dismissed a derivative case brought by shareholder Gary Guillaume because he did not first send Coinbase’s board the written demand required by Texas law, according to a detailed review of the October 2 order by CryptoSlate. The dismissal was without prejudice, meaning the court did not decide whether the underlying allegations were true.

That distinction matters. A derivative lawsuit attempts to pursue a company’s own claims on its behalf.

Before a shareholder can take that authority away from the board, Texas generally requires a particularized written demand identifying the disputed conduct and asking the