All on Coinbase. https://t.co/wkvP1tDFmx
Coinbase
Centralized crypto exchange founded in 2012, with 405 coins and 514 trading pairs
What is Coinbase?
Coinbase is a US-based centralized cryptocurrency exchange for buying, selling and trading digital assets. Founded in 2012, it lists 405 coins across 514 trading pairs and operates alongside products such as Advanced, Coinbase One, Prime, Custody and Derivatives Exchange. Coinbase also developed the Base network.
Company and backing
Coinbase operates as part of Coinbase Global, Inc. Brian Armstrong is co-founder and CEO. Before Coinbase, he worked as an Airbnb engineer and participated in Y Combinator. Fred Ehrsam is co-founder and previously worked as a Goldman Sachs trader. The company is headquartered in the United States and had a reported team size of 1,249. Early backers included Union Square Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Ribbit Capital, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, the New York Stock Exchange and USAA. Union Square Ventures led a $5 million Series A in May 2013. A Series B in December 2013 included $25 million from Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures and Ribbit Capital. A further $75 million round in January 2015 included Draper Fisher Jurvetson, the New York Stock Exchange and USAA.
How the exchange works
Coinbase holds assets through a centralized account model rather than giving traders direct control of exchange-held funds. The main exchange supports spot buying, selling and trading, while Advanced provides professional trading tools. Coinbase also offers staking, institutional custody through Custody, and financing and trading through Prime. Developer services cover payments, wallets, trading, custody and stablecoins. Derivatives Exchange provides futures and perpetual-style futures trading. The wider platform reported more than 100 million users in 2024 and nearly $516 billion in assets on platform in September 2025.
Fees and products
Coinbase One is a subscription product that offers zero trading fees and additional benefits. The platform also offers staking and the Base App, along with prediction-market products. Derivatives and perpetual-style futures introduce risks beyond spot trading, including losses from leveraged positions.
Availability and track record
Coinbase operates in more than 100 countries. It became a publicly traded company on Nasdaq under the ticker COIN in April 2021. In July 2026, Coinbase reported a 10.3% share of crypto trading volume for the second quarter and its 14th consecutive quarter of positive Adjusted EBITDA. Coinbase reported $20 billion in average USDC held in its products during that quarter.
Risks and limitations
Users face centralized custody and counterparty exposure because exchange-held assets depend on Coinbase's systems and operations. Access and product availability vary across the more than 100 countries where the platform operates. Spot trading, staking and derivatives carry market risk. Futures and perpetual products can magnify losses. The exchange also combines retail trading with institutional custody and financing, so product terms differ across the platform.
Founders
Former Airbnb engineer who participated in Y Combinator.
Former Goldman Sachs trader.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 405 listed coins and 514 trading pairs
- Nasdaq-listed parent company since April 2021
- Spot, futures, perpetuals and options access
- Institutional custody and financing products
- Available in more than 100 countries
- Onchain products under one company
Cons
- Centralized custody exposes users to exchange counterparty risk
- Regional access and product availability vary by country
- Derivatives and perpetuals can magnify trading losses
- Staking rewards depend on supported assets and conditions
Our review
Coinbase combines a long operating record with broad product coverage, but its centralized custody and unclear retail fee picture remain factors in account selection.
Coinbase is a centralized exchange founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam. It became publicly traded on Nasdaq under COIN in April 2021 and operates under Coinbase Global, Inc. Centralized custody leaves account access and withdrawals dependent on the company.
The exchange listing records 405 coins and 514 trading pairs, and Coinbase says it operates in more than 100 countries. Availability varies by country. Spot trading is joined by Advanced, staking, Coinbase One, institutional custody and derivatives products.
Coinbase has added transfer protection for sends and withdrawals, and its derivatives arm, Coinbase Financial Markets, is described as a US-regulated futures commission merchant. Funds remain held through a centralized exchange, and derivatives add liquidation risk.
Early funding included a $5 million Series A led by Union Square Ventures in May 2013 and a $25 million Series B in December 2013, with Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures and Ribbit Capital participating. Coinbase reported 10.3% crypto trading volume market share in Q2 2026 and $20 billion in average USDC held across its products that quarter.
Sources (2)
Specs
| Markets | Spot, Futures, Options · unverified |
|---|---|
| Accepts US customers | Yes · unverified |
| Staking / earn | Yes · unverified |
| Security features | Transfer protection · unverified |
| Futures & perpetuals | Yes · unverified |
| Earn / savings products | Yes · unverified |
Not disclosed by the provider: Maker fee, Taker fee, Coins listed, Fiat deposit methods, KYC required, Proof of reserves, Mobile app, Licenses & registrations, Max leverage (x), Copy trading, P2P market, User protection fund, Referral program.
Data from the provider's website and public sources. Fees and availability change; confirm on the official site before you sign up.
Key features
Spot trading markets
The exchange lists 405 coins across 514 trading pairs for spot buying, selling and trading.
Advanced trading tools
Advanced provides professional-grade cryptocurrency trading tools alongside the standard exchange interface.
Futures and perpetuals
Derivatives Exchange offers futures and perpetual-style futures trading, including USDC-settled products.
Staking services
Coinbase offers staking across its products, with rewards and supported assets determined by the relevant product.
Coinbase One
The subscription product includes zero trading fees and additional benefits.
Institutional custody
Custody provides digital-asset custody services, while Prime combines institutional trading and financing.
Developer services
Coinbase Developer Platform provides services for payments, trading, custody, wallets and stablecoins.
Base ecosystem
Coinbase developed Base and offers the Base App for onchain trading and related activities.
Inside Coinbase
Crypto exchange
The main platform supports spot cryptocurrency buying, selling and trading. The exchange listing records 405 coins and 514 trading pairs.
Coinbase One
Coinbase One is a subscription product that includes zero trading fees and additional benefits.
Advanced
Advanced provides professional-grade cryptocurrency trading tools for users who want a more detailed trading interface.
Derivatives Exchange
The Derivatives Exchange provides futures and perpetual-style futures trading. Coinbase also offers pre-IPO perpetual futures that are USDC-settled, available 24/7 and have no expiry.
Prime
Prime provides institutional trading and financing services for professional clients.
Custody
Custody is Coinbase's institutional digital-asset custody service.
Coinbase Developer Platform
The Developer Platform provides services for payments, trading, custody, wallets and stablecoins.
Staking
Staking provides staking services across Coinbase products.
Base App
Base App is an onchain application for trading and related activities.
What users say about Coinbase
Praise mainly focuses on Coinbase being easy to use and, for some users, trustworthy. Complaints center on delayed transfers and locked funds, app bugs, high fees, weak support, and withdrawal restrictions.
In their own words
“Great app Easy to use and fast cash outs best crypto app out.”
“Love it Easy to access easy to work and very trusting”
“New coin trading There is so much lagging that I can’t sell a coin before I’ve lost over 2000 dollars”
“Week long wait period to send ETH is unacceptable It is ridiculous that you have to wait a week to send purchased ETH. Robinhood and other platforms do not have this restriction.”
“No real person customer service Had an account cash withdrawal issue, and can’t find a real person, the AI customer service asked me to write a mail, put into an envelope and mail to Mew York headquarters. Fully automated system and no real person.”
Based on 44 App Store reviews from the last 12 months, checked Oct 18, 2026. These are posts by users on other sites, not reviews submitted on CryptoReview.
User reviews
No user reviews yet. Have you used Coinbase? Share your experience below.
Funding and investors
-
Funding round Jan 2015 $75MDF Draper Fisher JurvetsonVenture capital Lead NY New York Stock ExchangeVenture capital US USAAVenture capitalSource
-
Series B Dec 2013 $25MSource
Andreessen HorowitzVenture capital
RC Ribbit CapitalVenture capital
Union Square VenturesVenture capital
-
Series A May 2013 $5MSource
-
Funding round Amount undisclosed
FAQ
Who founded Coinbase?
Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam founded Coinbase in 2012. Armstrong is co-founder and CEO, and previously worked as an Airbnb engineer and participated in Y Combinator; Ehrsam previously worked as a Goldman Sachs trader.
How many coins does Coinbase support?
The Coinbase Exchange listing records 405 coins and 514 trading pairs. Asset and service availability varies by country.
Is Coinbase available internationally?
Coinbase operates in more than 100 countries. The exact services and assets available depend on the country.
Does Coinbase offer zero-fee trading?
Coinbase One offers zero trading fees as part of its subscription product. Coinbase also has separate spot and Advanced trading products.
Is Coinbase a regulated derivatives exchange?
Coinbase Financial Markets is described as a US-regulated futures commission merchant offering access to crypto derivatives markets. Its derivatives products include futures and perpetual-style futures.
What products does Coinbase offer besides spot trading?
Coinbase offers Advanced trading, staking, Coinbase One, Prime, Custody, a Developer Platform, a Base App and derivatives products. The company also offers institutional trading and financing services through Prime.
Latest from Coinbase on X
All on Coinbase. https://t.co/wkvP1tDFmx
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Plus, Coinbase One members also earn 3.75% APY on USDC balances. https://t.co/hvrIgErZ7R
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October @Coinbase ↓
Recent public posts from @coinbase, shown as published. Not reviewed or endorsed by CryptoReview.
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