Coinbase | Gemini |
Great for Beginners who are looking to gain experience and care about an easy-to-use exchange platform. | Great for Traders looking for an easy-to-use platform with an excellent mobile app for buying, storing, and selling cryptocurrency, as well as having the option for staking. |
Cryptocurrencies Offered Over 150 | Cryptocurrencies Offered Over 70 |
Fees Withdrawal Fees: $0 for ACH Trading Fees: 0.05% - 0.60% | Fees Withdrawal Fees: Free Trading Fees: 0.25% - 0.50% |
Bonus Offer Get $10 in BTC when you make your first $100 trade | Bonus Offer Customers in the United States who sign up for Gemini will immediately get $7 in ETH. |
Unique Features
| Unique Features
|
Minimum Trade Amount $2 | Minimum Trade Amount 0.00001 BTC/0.001 ETH |
Customer Support 24/7 Live phone support, email, live chat | Customer Support FAQ, email support |
Pros
| Pros
|
Cons
| Cons
|
Gemini vs. Coinbase Overview
Gemini
Gemini is a user-friendly cryptocurrency exchange ideal for both beginning and experienced crypto investors. Gemini has industry-leading security features, its hot wallet, and a comprehensive support center to help you get started.
Gemini was founded in 2015 by brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. Gemini is based in New York City. The company has received licensing from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to operate as a chartered limited liability trust company.
Coinbase
Coinbase is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges; its most popular feature is its wallet service. It allows users to store digital currency in wallets on its servers or computers. It also provides an easy way for users to buy and sell digital currency from each other using their bank accounts or credit cards â similar to how you can deposit funds into your bank account using your debit card at an ATM.
Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam founded Coinbase in 2012. The company has raised $117 million from investors, including Andreessen Horowitz and Union Square Ventures. In 2017, Coinbase handled $1 billion in transactions from more than 10 million customers in over 30 countries.
Cryptocurrencies Available
Gemini Cryptocurrencies
Gemini is a cryptocurrency exchange that makes it easy to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. You can purchase cryptocurrencies with a credit card or bank account and avoid paying transaction fees using a connected bank account. Here is a list of some cryptocurrencies on the Gemini platform:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Gemini Dollar (GUSD)
- Solana (SOL)
- Cardano (ADA)
- USD Coin (USDC)
- Terra (LUNA)
- Uniswap (UNI)
Coinbase Cryptocurrencies
As explained above, Coinbase supports over 100 cryptocurrencies, including stablecoins and altcoins. Some of these are:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Solana (SOL)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- USD Coin (USDC)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Uniswap (UNI)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Shiba Inu (SHIB)
- Algorand (ALGO)
- Stellar Lumens (XLM)
- Polygon (MATIC)
- DAI (DAI)
- SushiSwap (SUSHI)
Fees
Gemini Fees
Gemini’s fee structure works differently than most other exchanges. Its fees vary depending on the amount you’re trading and the platform you’re using and can range up to $2.99 for trades greater than $50 but less than $200, or 1.49% for trades of at least $200 or more.
The exchange’s basic fee structure is more complicated than what you’ll find with some other exchanges. Its fees are also slightly higher than most of its competitors’ fees.
Coinbase Fees
Coinbase does not show its fees and costs on its website. However, you can see the cost of entering a trade before purchasing because the costs are shown on the trade screen.
Here are the fees that the main Coinbase platform operates on:
| Trade Size | Fee |
| $10 or less | $0.99 |
| $10 – $25 | $1.49 |
| $25 – $50 | $1.99 |
| $50 – $200 | $2.99 |
Staking and Credit Card Options
Gemini and Coinbase have a few different ways for you to make passive income through staking.
Gemini Staking
Staking is a way of earning interest on your Gemini dollars without putting up any collateral. Instead, you simply deposit some of your GUSD into a wallet and let it sit there while you wait for the interest rate to grow over time.
The longer you leave your GUSD in staking mode, the more interest you will earn. The minimum amount of time you can leave your GUSD in staking mode is one month, and the maximum amount is 12 months.
Gemini Credit Card Option
Gemini offers the Gemini Credit Card. This credit card is a Mastercard offering, which allows you to earn crypto rewards on every purchase. You can earn up to 3% back by using the card, with no annual fee, and rewards in Bitcoin, Ethereum, or 60+ other cryptocurrencies. To apply, simply log in to your Gemini account.
Coinbase Staking
Coinbase allows you to stake your cryptocurrencies to earn up to 5.75% APY. Some of the coins available to stake include Ethereum 2.0 (ETH2), Tezos, Cosmos, and much more.
Coinbase Credit Card Option
Coinbase offers a 4% crypto rewards Visa debit card to its users. You can choose a crypto reward and earn up to 4% back on all your purchases. The card has no annual fees, and no credit check is required.
Security
Gemini Security
Gemini offers security features like two-factor authentication, wallet address whitelisting, and the ability to review and approve devices used to log in. To access the platform’s full suite of trading features, users must complete its know-your-customer (KYC) verification process, which involves uploading a government-issued photo ID.
Gemini also recently became SOC 2-certified and offered FDIC insurance for U.S. dollar deposits up to $250,000. In addition, this exchange also offers digital asset insurance for funds held in its hot wallet.
Coinbase Security
Coinbase uses industry-leading security methods to keep user deposits and assets safe. They also provide additional resources to help you stay secure, including various educational materials on their blog and comprehensive account activity page.
You can keep your Bitcoin safe and secure by storing it offline in a network of safe deposit boxes supported by digital and paper backups. Your account needs two-factor authentication, which means that even if someone else has your password, they still need your phone to log in. In addition, it uses bank-standard encryption for its website.
How To Decide Between Gemini and Coinbase
Gemini and Coinbase are just two of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges. Both are regulated, insured, and trusted by millions of users. But how do you decide the better one for you?
Regarding safety and customer support, Gemini is the better wallet to consider over Coinbase. Gemini has lower transaction fees and faster confirmation times than Coinbase, though it may take longer to verify new accounts into Gemini’s cold storage solution. Also, they guarantee complete customer satisfaction through their customer support services.
It is important to note that both offer more security than their non-custodial counterparts because they store your private keys on their servers instead of on your device. However, this also gives them access to your funds if they wish so.