Venues / Exchange
Coinbase
Coinbase is a US-listed (Nasdaq: COIN) custodial crypto exchange and broker. Simple buys and sells carry a spread plus a Coinbase fee, Coinbase Advanced is a maker/taker order book, and since 2025 the app has offered DEX trading of onchain Base and Solana tokens through an integrated self-custody wallet.
Cost: Simple buys and sells: a spread is built into the quoted price, plus a Coinbase fee that varies by payment method, order size, asset and location (shown on the preview screen). Coinbase no longer publishes a fixed spread %. Simple limit orders add 1%. Coinbase Advanced has no spread and charges maker/taker fees by 30-day volume (base tier reported as 0.40%/0.60%). DEX trades may add a service fee. No default round-trip cost is stated here: the simple-trade spread and fee vary by order, and the Advanced base-tier rates are shown only to logged-in users, so no single figure can be verified.
Sign-up perk: Varies by country and program. With the Coinbase Advanced referral link, the invitee earns $5 (>$100), $20 (>$5K) or $50 (>$10K) based on 14-day Advanced volume.
Checked 2026-10-16 · sources below- Round trip fee
- — buy + sell, platform fee
- $1,000 buy + sell
- — before network + pool fees
- Fees paid, 30d
- — not tracked by DefiLlama
- US availability
- Available UK: available · EU: available
More on Coinbase: Fees
- Custody
- custodial
- KYC
- required
- Platforms
- web, ios, android
- Launched
- 2012-06
Best for: Beginners in the US, UK or EU who want a regulated, KYC'd on-ramp with bank funding, and who can trade onchain Base/Solana tokens in the same app.
Coinbase fees
| Fee | Type | Rate | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spread (simple trade) | spread | — | Buy and sell | Included in the quoted price for simple buys, sells and converts; it varies, and Coinbase may keep any excess. The ~0.50% figure is no longer on the official disclosure page (third-party reviews still cite it). |
| Coinbase fee (simple trade) | platform | — | Buy and sell | Depends on payment method, order size, market conditions, location and asset; disclosed in the trade preview. Coinbase One members get zero trading fees up to their tier limit. |
| Simple limit order execution fee | platform | 1% | Buy and sell | 1% on each simple limit buy/sell, plus a possible 1.875% Coinbase fee depending on payment method. Not waived by Coinbase One. |
| DEX trading service fee | platform | — | Buy and sell | Coinbase may charge a service fee on DEX trades on top of the standard Coinbase fee. It can cover network fees, is not waived by Coinbase One, and aggregators may keep price improvement. At launch Coinbase sponsored network fees. |
| Coinbase Advanced taker (base tier) | platform | 0.6% | Buy and sell | Reported base tier ($0-$10K 30-day volume). The full schedule is shown only when logged in at coinbase.com/advanced-fees; it varies by product, and some pairs have separate schedules. |
| Coinbase Advanced maker (base tier) | platform | 0.4% | Buy and sell | Reported base tier; see the taker note. |
| Lightning send processing fee | other | 0.2% | 0.2% of BTC sent via the Lightning Network. | |
| Network fee (withdrawals) | network | — | Charged on sends off Coinbase, based on an estimate of prevailing network fees. |
Fee tiers
| Tier | Rate | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Coinbase One Basic | 0% | $4.99/mo or $49.99/yr; zero trading fees on up to $500/month (spread still applies) |
| Coinbase One Preferred | 0% | $29.99/mo or $299.99/yr; zero trading fees on up to $10,000/month; 25% off Advanced spot fees (up to 100 USDC/mo) |
| Coinbase One Premium | 0% | $299.99/mo or $2,999.99/yr; unlimited zero trading fees; 25% off Advanced spot fees |
| Advanced base tier | 0.6% | Taker rate at $0-$10K 30-day volume (maker 0.40%), as reported |
Platform fees only. On-chain network/priority fees, pool (LP) fees and price impact are extra and vary by trade.
Is Coinbase legit?
Exchange balances are held by Coinbase. Assets bought with DEX trading sit in the user's self-custody wallet inside the Coinbase app, not with Coinbase.
Backers: IVP (lead), with Spark Capital, Greylock, Battery Ventures, Section 32, Draper Associates ($100,000,000), 2017-08; Tiger Global (lead), with Y Combinator Continuity and Wellington Management ($300,000,000), 2018-10.
Incidents on record
- 2023-01-04: NYDFS settlement over compliance failures. New York's financial regulator found Coinbase failed to track and report suspicious activity (a backlog of 100,000+ unreviewed monitoring alerts by late 2021). Coinbase agreed to a $50M penalty and to invest a further $50M in its compliance program over two years. Source
- 2023-06: SEC lawsuit (later dismissed). The SEC sued Coinbase in June 2023, alleging it operated as an unregistered securities exchange, broker and clearing agency. On 2025-02-27 the SEC filed a stipulation to dismiss the case with prejudice; it said the dismissal did not reflect a position on the merits. Source
- 2025-05-14: Customer data breach via bribed support agents. Coinbase disclosed in an SEC 8-K that criminals bribed overseas support staff to copy customer data from support tools (activity began 2024-12-26). The data covered 69,461 customers: names, addresses, emails, phones, masked SSN/bank data, ID images and balances. No passwords, private keys or funds were exposed. Coinbase refused a $20M ransom and estimated $180M-$400M in remediation costs. Source
Where Coinbase is available
| Region | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Available |
| United Kingdom | Available |
| European Union | Available |
DEX trading launched to US users excluding New York State (Aug-Oct 2025), then expanded to more markets, such as Brazil from Nov 2025. Coinbase runs separate EEA terms and a UK site; product availability varies by region. Referral links are not valid for UK or Turkey residents. (source)
We report what the venue's own terms say. Don't use a VPN to get around restrictions; venues can freeze accounts that do.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Coinbase Advanced has no spread and charges maker/taker fees on a central limit order book.
- Coinbase says it has no payment-for-order-flow relationships, and Primary Balance trades execute on Coinbase Exchange's order book.
- In-app DEX trading reaches onchain Base and Solana tokens without waiting for a listing, and Coinbase filters tokens a third-party vendor flags as malicious.
- Coinbase One offers zero trading fees on simple trades up to tier limits ($500, $10,000 or unlimited per month).
Cons
- Simple trades combine a variable spread with a variable Coinbase fee, and no fixed % is published.
- Simple limit orders carry an extra 1% execution fee, which Coinbase One does not waive.
- DEX trades can add a separate service fee, which Coinbase One does not cover.
- In May 2025, bribed support agents leaked data of 69,461 customers.
Features
simple buy/sellconvertlimit orderscoinbase advanced order bookperpetual futuresdex trading (base, solana)self-custody wallet in appstakingcoinbase one subscriptioncoinbase cardusdc rewardsmobile app
Alternatives to Coinbase
Robinhood
US users who already invest with Robinhood and want a simple way to buy major coins and listed memecoins (DOGE, SHIB, PEPE, BONK, WIF, TRUMP) without a separate exchange account.
1.9%Round trip
Rabby
EVM users who want pre-signing transaction simulation and approval controls, with low-fee in-wallet swaps across many chains.
0.5%Round trip
Trust Wallet
Mobile-first users who hold assets across many chains (100+) and want in-app swaps, staking and perps in one self-custodial wallet.
1.4%Round trip
Phantom
Solana-first users who want one self-custodial app for swaps, cross-chain swaps, Hyperliquid perps and predictions.
1.7%Round trip
Head to head
Where Coinbase ranks
- #5 in Best memecoin trading apps available in the USof 6
- #5 in Best apps to buy meme coinsof 10
- #5 in Best memecoin platforms for beginnersof 10
- #7 in Best apps to buy crypto and memecoins with Apple Payof 8
- #8 in Crypto trading venues available in the UKof 8
Explainers related to Coinbase
- What is the bid-ask spread? (and what it costs you)
- What is a stablecoin? (USDC, USDT and how pegs can break)
Coinbase FAQ
Is Coinbase legit?
Coinbase was founded in June 2012 and listed on Nasdaq (COIN) in April 2021. It requires KYC and holds a New York BitLicense. Incidents: a January 2023 NYDFS settlement ($50M penalty), an SEC suit dropped in February 2025, and a May 2025 insider data breach (69,461 customers; no funds or keys).
What fees does Coinbase charge to buy crypto?
Simple buys include a spread in the quoted price plus a Coinbase fee that depends on payment method, size, asset and location. Both are shown on the preview screen before you confirm. Coinbase Advanced has no spread and charges maker/taker fees, reported at 0.40%/0.60% at the base tier.
Can I buy memecoins on Coinbase?
Yes, through DEX trading in the app. It launched for US users (excluding New York) on Base in August 2025, reached all of them by October 8, 2025, and later added Solana tokens. Trades run through a self-custody wallet, and Coinbase does not review these assets.
Does Coinbase One remove all fees?
No. Coinbase One ($4.99-$299.99/month) waives the Coinbase trading fee up to tier limits, but a spread can still apply. The 1% limit-order fee and the DEX trading service fee are not covered.
Sources
Last checked . Fees and terms change often; the venue's own page wins if it disagrees with ours.
- Coinbase pricing and fees disclosures - crypto — checked 2026-10-16
- Coinbase Advanced fees (help) — checked 2026-10-16
- Coinbase UK - Advanced (<=0.4% maker, <=0.6% taker) — checked 2026-10-16
- Bankrate - maker/taker fee comparison (Coinbase Advanced 0.40%/0.60% at $0-$10K) — checked 2026-10-16
- Coinbase One plans and pricing — checked 2026-10-16
- Coinbase blog - Coinbase unlocks millions of assets with DEX trading (Aug 8, 2025; update Oct 8, 2025) — checked 2026-10-16
- Coinbase blog - DEX trading in Brazil — checked 2026-10-16
- The Defiant - Coinbase adds native Solana DEX trading — checked 2026-10-16
- DL News - Coinbase DEX trading launch (fees at launch) — checked 2026-10-16
- Coinbase help - New user incentive and referral program terms — checked 2026-10-16
- Coinbase One referral program — checked 2026-10-16
- The Register - Coinbase confirms insider breach affects 69,461 users — checked 2026-10-16
- Help Net Security - Coinbase data breach and extortion — checked 2026-10-16
- TechCrunch - Coinbase data breach affects 69,000+ customers — checked 2026-10-16
- Wikipedia - Coinbase (founding, Nasdaq listing) — checked 2026-10-16
- TechCrunch - Coinbase raises $100M Series D (Aug 2017) — checked 2026-10-16
- TechCrunch - Coinbase $300M Series E led by Tiger Global (Oct 2018) — checked 2026-10-16
- Banking Dive - Coinbase NYDFS settlement (Jan 2023) — checked 2026-10-16
- SEC press release 2025-47 - dismissal of Coinbase case — checked 2026-10-16