Coinbase Review

Our verdict: Coinbase is a regulated, US-listed exchange that offers a straightforward app, available in every US state and licensed by NYDFS in New York. We believe it serves as a convenient initial option for US buyers. However, this simplicity comes at a price: basic purchases include a spread and a Coinbase fee. On Coinbase Advanced, the US entry level is 0.50% for maker and 0.90% for taker.

Who it is for, in our view: US residents who want crypto, commission-free stock trading, and CFTC-regulated futures in a single app. It also suits buyers in New York, which Kraken does not serve, and those purchasing occasionally rather than trading daily.

Who it is not for, in our view: active traders focused on price, who face 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker fees at Kraken Pro's initial tier (see our Kraken review), as well as US traders seeking more than 10x leverage on Bitcoin or Ether.

How we checked: we read Coinbase's US user agreement, help center, fee announcement, license pages and quarterly reports, looked up its entries in the FCA register and the European register of crypto-asset service providers, checked its public market data and app store ratings, and compared its fees with Kraken Pro's first tier. Every fact on this page comes from a primary source, such as the provider's own documents, a regulator or an app store. The scores on this page are our editorial ratings.

Is Coinbase safe?

In our view, Coinbase ranks among the safer large exchanges, but no exchange is without risk. Coinbase, Inc., whose parent company is listed on Nasdaq, holds money transmitter licenses in 47 US jurisdictions and possesses a New York virtual currency license from NYDFS. Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. is authorized as a crypto-asset service provider by the CSSF, while CB Payments Ltd is an e-money institution authorized by the FCA and registered for specific cryptoasset activities in the UK.

Two-factor authentication is enabled by default, and Coinbase says it holds customer crypto 1:1 and does not lend it without permission. USD balances at Coinbase, Inc. may qualify for pass-through FDIC insurance up to the per-depositor limit. We think proof of reserves is still an open question because we couldn't find any such report for exchange customer balances.

In May 2025, Coinbase disclosed that bribed support staff outside the US copied account data of less than 1% of monthly transacting users, stating no passwords, private keys, or funds were exposed. The FCA fined CB Payments Ltd in July 2024, while the SEC dismissed its case against Coinbase on February 27, 2025. As crypto lacks FDIC or SIPC coverage, we think long-term holdings should be in a wallet you control.

Coinbase fees

Coinbase charges a spread plus a Coinbase fee on simple buys, and maker and taker fees on Coinbase Advanced.

• Coinbase Advanced spot, entry tier: 0.50% maker and 0.90% taker in the US, 0.25% and 0.50% in the EU and UK, down to 0.00% and 0.02% at VIP8
• Simple trades: a spread plus a Coinbase fee, shown before you confirm. Coinbase's US license page limits that fee to $10 on trades under $200 and 6% otherwise
• Simple limit orders: an additional 1% execution fee
• Bitcoin withdrawals: a network fee that varies, based on Coinbase's own estimate
• US bank wires: $10 incoming, $25 outgoing

In our view, Coinbase Advanced is worth learning if you buy more than occasionally.

Where Coinbase is available

Coinbase is available in the US. Its US user agreement requires you to be an adult residing in the United States and does not mention any excluded state, allowing you to open an account in every state, including New York, where Coinbase holds a virtual currency license from NYDFS.

Some products have state-specific variations. New staking options are not permitted in California, Maryland, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. The Coinbase Card is unavailable in Hawaii, prediction markets are closed in Nevada, and crypto-backed loans, Lightning payments, and sending on multiple networks are not offered in New York.

Coinbase serves the European Economic Area via Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. and the UK through CB Payments Ltd, with local entities or registrations in Canada, Australia, Singapore, and India. Coinbase blocks jurisdictions under sanctions programs of the US Treasury and other authorities but does not disclose a complete country list.

Coinbase fact sheet

• Operator in the US: Coinbase, Inc., a part of Coinbase Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: COIN), established in 2012
• Crypto assets: 407 with active markets
• Spot fees on Coinbase Advanced at the entry level: 0.50% maker and 0.90% taker in the US, 0.25% and 0.50% in the EU and UK, 0.09% and 0.10% in Brazil, India, and other international markets
• Top published tier: 0.00% maker and 0.02% taker at VIP8
• Bitcoin withdrawals: Varies, a fee based on Coinbase's estimate of the current network fee. Over Lightning 0.2%
• USDT withdrawals: a 0.01% processing fee, up to 20 USDT, plus a variable network fee
• US bank wires: $10 incoming, $25 outgoing
• Identity verification: mandatory when opening an account

What Coinbase costs in practice

Coinbase has two price models, and in our view the choice between them decides most of what you pay. The simple Buy and Sell buttons include a spread in the quoted price and add a Coinbase fee, both of which are displayed on the preview screen before confirmation. According to Coinbase's US license page, the Coinbase Fee will not exceed $10 on transactions under $200, or 6% on larger ones, with the spread on top. Simple limit orders incur a 1% execution fee and may include a 1.875% Coinbase fee, depending on the payment method.

Coinbase Advanced instead charges maker and taker fees. Following a fee change on September 16, 2026, a taker order at the US entry level costs 0.90% of its value, and a limit order that remains in the order book costs 0.50%. Coinbase indicates its Advanced tiers start at $10,000 in qualifying volume. If you buy more than occasionally, we think it pays to learn Coinbase Advanced or to look at Coinbase One, the subscription that removes the Coinbase fee on simple trades up to $500 a month on Basic, up to $10K on Preferred and without a cap on Premium. The spread still applies, and the 1% limit order fee remains.

Staking incurs a cost: Coinbase retains 35% of staking rewards on assets such as ETH and SOL, or 31.75%, 28.5%, or 25.25% for Coinbase One members, varying by tier.

Security, regulation and what protects your money

Two-factor authentication is enabled by default and supports security keys, and Coinbase Vault requires multiple approvals for withdrawals. Coinbase states it holds customer crypto 1:1 and does not lend it without consent. Dollar balances held with Coinbase, Inc. can qualify for pass-through FDIC or NCUSIF insurance up to the per-depositor limit, under the conditions in the user agreement, but the same agreement says digital assets are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC. In the UK, the FCA register shows that CB Payments Ltd customers cannot claim from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if the firm fails.

In the US, Coinbase, Inc. holds money transmitter licenses in 47 jurisdictions listed on its license page, a New York virtual currency license from NYDFS (122466), and a FinCEN registration as a money services business. Futures are managed by Coinbase Financial Markets, a CFTC-registered futures commission merchant, and Coinbase Derivatives, LLC, a CFTC-designated contract market. US stocks are handled by Coinbase Capital Markets Corp., a FINRA and SIPC member. In the European Economic Area, Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. holds a crypto-asset service provider authorization from Luxembourg's CSSF (N00000004). Other group companies have e-money licenses in Ireland and the UK (FCA, FRN 900635), a CySEC investment firm license in Cyprus, and licenses or registrations in Canada, Australia (ASIC, AFSL 569752), Singapore, and India.

Proof of reserves is an open point. Coinbase's quarterly report shows $245.9 billion in assets on the platform as of June 30, 2026, but when we looked for this review we found no proof-of-reserves report for exchange customer balances on coinbase.com or in its help center. We count it neither for nor against Coinbase.

Incidents and legal history

May 2025 data theft

Criminals bribed a few support staff outside the US, who copied account data of less than 1% of Coinbase's monthly transacting users. Coinbase reported no passwords, private keys, or funds were exposed, rejected a $20 million extortion demand, pledged to reimburse customers misled into sending funds, and estimated preliminary costs between $180 million and $400 million.

SEC case and state actions

The Securities and Exchange Commission dismissed its civil case against Coinbase on February 27, 2025, and five of the state actions over staking that began in June 2023 were dropped in 2025.

Prediction markets

On April 21, 2026, New York's Attorney General sued Coinbase Financial Markets, calling its prediction markets illegal gambling; the case was still open when we checked. Coinbase says Nevada's State Gaming Control Board has issued a temporary restraining order that halts its prediction markets there.

FCA fine

In July 2024, the FCA fined CB Payments Ltd, Coinbase's UK e-money firm.

Alternatives to Coinbase

In our view Coinbase suits first purchases better than active trading. For active trading in the US, consider Kraken: Kraken Pro charges 0.40% maker and 0.80% taker at its first tier, offers spot margin to eligible US clients, and provides CFTC-regulated futures through Kraken Derivatives US. Kraken also publishes proof-of-reserves snapshots. It is not available to residents of New York or Maine. Our Kraken review contains detailed information, and Coinbase vs Kraken compares the two side by side.

For more options in the US, see our list of exchanges for US customers. If residing outside the US, explore our lists of exchanges for beginners and exchanges for day trading, which compare platforms by fees and tools.

FAQ

What is the Coinbase withdrawal fee?

It varies. Coinbase charges no fixed fee for sending Bitcoin; its fee is a network fee based on its estimate of current network fees. Bitcoin sent over Lightning costs 0.2%.

What happened to Coinbase Pro?

Coinbase Advanced has replaced Coinbase Pro as the trading screen, featuring TradingView charts and advanced order types.