Coinbase

Coinbase is an American cryptocurrency exchange and custodial platform founded in June 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam. Headquartered in the United States, it operates in more than 100 countries and has grown to serve over 100 million verified users, making it the largest U.S.-based crypto exchange and the world’s biggest Bitcoin custodian as of 2024. The platform allows individuals, merchants, and institutions to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies using fiat currency via a web browser or the Coinbase mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Coinbase uses a fully custodial model, meaning the platform holds and manages private keys on behalf of users. The company states that the substantial majority of customer assets are kept in cold storage, offline and isolated from internet-connected systems. Users who prefer self-custody have a separate product available (Coinbase Wallet), but the exchange account itself does not give users access to their private keys. Coinbase is a publicly listed company (NASDAQ: COIN) and joined the S&P 500 index in 2025, adding another layer of regulatory scrutiny and public accountability. That same year it acquired the crypto derivatives exchange Deribit for approximately $2.9 billion.

Supported networks:

• Bitcoin
• Ethereum
• Solana
• Avalanche
• Polygon
• A broad range of ERC-20 tokens

In addition to the standard retail interface, Coinbase offers Advanced Trade for experienced traders with more detailed charting and order types, and Coinbase Prime for institutional clients requiring custody, staking, and trading under a single account structure. Fee structures vary by product tier, payment method, and region.