With the increase in popularity of cryptocurrency and the number of investors seeking to profit off the over 2 trillion dollar industry, Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange platform, has equally been brought into the limelight. Millions of people sell and buy different digital currencies daily and use them as a payment medium, and a Cryptocurrency exchange is necessary. Coinbase is one of the most effective ways to purchase cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Luna, and Dogecoin online, and plays host to over 90 different types of cryptocurrency. However, not every cryptocurrency is supported on the exchange platform. Here you’ll find everything you need to know in this Coinbase review before choosing it as your primary exchange.
- Also learn about:
Coinbase Key Features
| ? Number of Cryptocurrencies Offered | Over 150 |
| ? Crypto-to-Crypto Trading Pairs Offered | Over 450 |
| ? Fees | 0.5% to 4.5% depending on payment method |
| ? Minimum Trade Amount | $2 |
| ? Mobile App | iOS and Android |
| ? Exchange Support | Email, Live Chat, and Phone |
| ? Altcoin Options | Limited |
Quick answer: Coinbase is the largest US-based crypto exchange and one of the easiest places for beginners to buy crypto. Itโs publicly traded (NASDAQ: COIN), joined the S&P 500 in 2025 and supports hundreds of cryptocurrencies. The main drawback is cost: simple “Buy” trades in the app include a spread plus a fee that can add up to a few percent, while Coinbase Advanced charges much lower maker-taker fees that drop with volume. Coinbase is best for beginners and US users who value ease and regulation over the lowest fees.
Updated October 2026 with current fees, products (Coinbase Pro was replaced by Coinbase Advanced), the 2025 customer-data incident and corrected company facts.
Use the link above to get $10 in free crypto when you make your first trade.
Coinbase Overview
A review of the Coinbase profile reveals that the company serves more than 100 million verified users worldwide and holds hundreds of billions of dollars in customer assets. It was founded in 2012 as a simple way to buy bitcoin, went public on the Nasdaq in 2021 and joined the S&P 500 in 2025. Coinbase describes itself as a remote-first company with no official headquarters.
Coinbase runs two different platforms alongside a cryptocurrency wallet service. Coinbase is the app used to buy, store, and trade cryptocurrency, while Coinbase Pro is a professional asset platform for digital assets. Coinbase also recently released Coinbase NFT, which is a marketplace where NFT collectors and artists buy and sell digital NFTs.
Pros and Cons of Coinbase
General Coinbase review: Coinbase offers broad access to over 100 cryptocurrencies and has a low minimum required to fund one’s account. However, it uses higher fees when compared to other crypto exchanges.
Coinbase Review: Where Coinbase Excels
- Cryptocurrency selection โ Coinbase users have access to a wide range of digital currency offerings because the platform has recently expanded its coverage to over 150 cryptocurrencies.
- Trading platforms โ Users have access to different platforms for trading. The original Coinbase platform has a user-friendly interface that gives users the option to purchase cryptocurrency using US dollars. Coinbase Advanced (which replaced Coinbase Pro) offers advanced charts, limit and stop orders and much lower maker-taker fees. Coinbase One is an optional subscription that removes trading fees on a set amount of monthly trades and adds perks such as boosted staking rewards. This feature offers no-fee trades and a couple of other benefits for a subscription fee paid monthly.
- Coinbase Earn โ Earn rewards on eligible crypto through staking and USDC rewards. (Coinbaseโs quiz-based Learning Rewards ended in May 2025.) Coinbase offers educational materials in the form of video classes and exams to users in crypto trading and new cryptocurrency.
- Debit card access โ Coinbase issues a visa-branded debit card linked to the Coinbase wallet balance of users. This enables users to easily spend their cryptocurrency at any merchant that accepts Visa payments worldwide.
- Mobile app โ Coinbase offers its users a friendly user interface and efficient mobile app for selling, buying, and trading crypto anywhere. Irrespective of the device, the mobile app works well for mobile crypto trading.
Coinbase Review: Where Coinbase Can Improve
- Fees โ Coinbase has a confusing fee structure that tends to be higher when compared to other cryptocurrency trading platforms. You can view the cost of a trade when you preview the transaction, but it is hard to figure out the price of a trade beforehand. The minimum amount required to purchase cryptocurrency using the Coinbase platform is $2. The elements that make up the fee structure of the platform can be classified into three categories: 1. The charges on cryptocurrency sales and purchases. 2. Charges are based on payment, order size and volatility, and liquidity. 3. Fees are required to cover expenses for executing a transaction on the external blockchain supporting the cryptocurrency the platform deals with.
- Privacy โ Perhaps, the biggest downside of the Coinbase exchange platform is privacy. The exchange tracks all transactions carried out on your account. In 2019 the company drew criticism for acquiring Neutrino, a blockchain analytics firm whose founders had previously worked at a controversial surveillance company. This is in sharp contrast with Bitcoin’s trait of maintaining anonymity.
- Customer service โ Coinbase has many negative ratings for customer service, and this includes even account security issues.
- Limited altcoins โ Although Coinbase offers access to a wide range of digital currencies, many are still not available on the digital currency exchange platform.
How Safe is Coinbase?
Coinbase uses top industry security and safety practices to protect its users’ assets and deposits. However, using digital currency comes with a healthy dose of risk, and you should follow best practices to keep your investment and account information safe online to avoid .
A review of Coinbase safety measures shows Coinbase uses bank-standard encryption and security for its website. It also stores 98 percent of users’ assets offline using safe deposit boxes that have digital and paper backups distributed around the globe. Accounts have a double factor authentication which prevents hackers from gaining access to your account without physical access to your mobile device.
Despite these security methods, users have suffered considerable losses to hackers who have gained access to their account details.
However, the exchange platform has never recorded an incident of its treasury funds losing funds to hackers. Only individual users lost access to their accounts.
Services Offered by Coinbase
- Brokerage โ Coinbase does not issue “crypto securities” at the moment. However, it announced its intention to become an SEC-regulated crypto broker. For now, the Coinbase platform is not a broker-dealer.
- Exchange โ Coinbase has been an exchange platform for almost a decade. In 2015, a sub-professional trader-friendly platform, GDAX, was launched, and in 2018, GDAX’s new name became Coinbase Pro. Using Coinbase Pro, trading is incentivized by offering lower fees and three times margin trading.
- Staking services โ Verified users on Coinbase can stake Tezos(XTZ) by holding two or more Tezos in their accounts and signing up for delegation; users stand a chance to earn results from staking. Rewards are distributed to users depending on how many Tezos they have.
- OTC trading โ Since 2018, Coinbase has enabled OTC trading for its institutional customers, and the company explained in March 2019 that its OTC desk sells coins directly from cold storage.
Whatโs new at Coinbase (2025โ2026)
- Coinbase Advanced replaced Coinbase Pro for lower-fee trading with order books, limit orders and charts.
- Base: Coinbaseโs own layer-2 network on Ethereum offers very low transaction fees and connects to Coinbase Wallet.
- Regulatory clarity: the SEC dropped its lawsuit against Coinbase in February 2025.
- May 2025 data incident: criminals bribed overseas support contractors to steal some customersโ personal data, which was then used in impersonation scams. Coinbase said no passwords or private keys were exposed and pledged to reimburse customers tricked into sending funds. Coinbase will never call you and ask you to move funds.
- Coinbase Wallet, its self-custody app, was renamed the Base App in 2025 and returned to the Coinbase Wallet name in September 2026.
Coinbase fees in 2026, simplified
- Simple buy and sell: easiest, but most expensive. You pay a spread (about 0.5%) plus a transaction fee shown before you confirm.
- Coinbase Advanced: maker-taker fees that drop with your 30-day volume, with no spread on order-book trades. Coinbase revised these tiers in September 2026, so check its fee page for current rates.
- Coinbase One: a monthly subscription that waives trading fees up to a monthly limit. Spreads still apply.
Other Exchanges to Consider
- Webull โ This exchange is preferable if you like to trade stocks as well as crypto, it doesn’t have as many altcoins as Coinbase but is preferable for keeping all of your investment portfolios on a single platform.
- Gemini โ If you like to earn interest on your crypto, Gemini has a decent earning program that allows you to earn passive income from your crypto-investment
The Bottom Line
Coinbase is undeniably among the top crypto exchanges in the US. Its interface is user-friendly, and it offers a good measure of security. For new investors in the crypto space, Coinbase is excellent, but for traders and bitcoin enthusiasts, Coinbase might not be the best option.
Review Methodology
Cryptocurrency Haus has an in-depth review process that effectively analyzes, tests, and ranks the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges and startup players in the space. Our process uses an iterative approach which is revisited as needed. We take pride in our independent audit of companies to help visitors like you get the information you need to make educated decisions.
Review Process
We collect product and service information directly from company websites, and we undergo first-hand testing and/or evaluation based on company presentations. External reviews by real users may be used in helping to determine a conclusive rating.
Rating Factors
We take weighted averages of consistent markers for each cryptocurrency exchange, such as security, variety of cryptocurrency, fee schedules, customer service, etc. Based on our iterative process, weightings may change depending on changes in factors that occur throughout the company.
Updates to Reviews
Our team re-evaluates almost all reviews annually and makes adjustments throughout each calendar year. Companies are encouraged to reach out with any new updates that our team may miss.
Frequently asked questions
Is Coinbase safe?
Coinbase is regulated in the US, publicly audited and stores most customer crypto offline. The biggest risk is account takeover through phishing, so use a strong password, an authenticator app or security key, and never share codes.
Why are Coinbase fees so high?
The simple Buy button includes a spread and a convenience fee. Use Coinbase Advanced to pay much less.
Is Coinbase available in all US states?
Coinbase operates in nearly every US state, though some products such as staking arenโt available everywhere.
What are the best Coinbase alternatives?
Kraken, Gemini and others offer lower fees or different features. See the best Coinbase alternatives.
