Coinbase review

Coinbase is a San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange platform launched in 2012 by computer engineer Brian Armstrong and Goldman Sachs trader Fred Ehrsam.

They founded the exchange to enable the buying and selling of Bitcoin. However, the exchange has grown beyond Bitcoin to support hundreds of digital assets and provides services such as spending, trading and earning.

Coinbase is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States. In April 2021, Coinbase became publicly traded via a listing on the NASDAQ where it can be found under the ticker COIN. As the first cryptocurrency exchange to go public, it represented a new milestone for the industry.

Coinbase has an advanced trading platform called Coinbase Pro that offers lower fees and more trading options. Pro is automatically available for free once you sign up to Coinbase.

• If this is your first exchange: Coinbase is easy to sign up for and has a user-friendly interface that makes buying your first cryptocurrency easy. There are lots of different coins and tokens available.
• If you’re switching exchanges: Coinbase has a debit card that lets you spend cryptocurrency anywhere Visa is accepted. Fees on Coinbase are higher than some competitors unless using Pro.

Verdict: Is Coinbase any good?

Yes, Coinbase is a good cryptocurrency exchange and is one of the top exchanges in the world by volume for a reason. It offers a large selection of coins and tokens for buying and selling. There are a variety of ways for users to earn extra cryptocurrency for free through the platform including through staking and learning. There is a Visa debit card available for users in many countries including the US and UK. Getting verified is a streamlined process, and there are options on the platform for beginners and advanced users. Fees can be high through the basic platform but are competitive within the Pro version of the platform, which is free to access once you’ve been verified. The volume on the exchange makes it easy to quickly buy or sell at any time.

What to know about Coinbase

Coinbase is one of the most used cryptocurrency exchange platforms on the market. It offers over 100 crypto assets and tokens for users to buy, sell and trade. The platform has a user-friendly interface, and offers features such as staking and earning. Trading fees can be high when trades are done on the basic platform rather than the Pro platform which users are automatically given access to. This is not told to users when they sign up. Coinbase gives users the ability to spend cryptocurrency with their Coinbase card but also charges a 2.49% fee for any transaction not done in its USDC stablecoin.

Finder ratings (done internally)

Supported cryptocurrencies
Transferring money or assets
Fees and costs
Ease of use
Customer service
Features
Staking/earning rating
Trustworthiness/security
Overall score

Supported cryptocurrencies

Coinbase supports more than 100 assets that users can buy, sell and trade on the platform. Here are just some of the supported coins and tokens:

Ripple (XRP) is missing from the list of cryptocurrencies supported by Coinbase. The platform suspended the trading of XRP when the SEC took Ripple to court.

Transferring fiat and cryptocurrency with Coinbase

When depositing crypto coins and tokens onto Coinbase there are no fees apart from the network fee required by the blockchain. Withdrawing cryptocurrency to an external wallet only costs the network fee as well.

Withdrawing fiat can incur a 1% fee plus the network fee when converting cryptocurrency directly to cash. Withdrawing and depositing fiat directly has varying fees that depend on the user’s location and method used. Wait times vary as well but can be seen below.

How long do international deposits and withdrawals take?

EUR deposits and withdrawals are processed with SEPA transfers. CAD transfers are processed via EFT and Interac. We have included the average processing times for transfers below. Note that rare circumstances such as bank holidays may result in longer-than-normal processing times.

Transferring euros (SEPA)

Deposit processing time: 2-3 busines days
Withdrawal processing time: 1-2 business days

Transferring CAD (EFT or Interac)

Deposit processing time: 3-4 business days via EFT, instant via Interac
Withdrawal processing time: 1-2 business days

Transferring SGD

Deposit processing time: Instant
Withdrawal processing time: 2-3 business days for normal withdrawals; same-day processing available for a $2.99 fee

Note: Your bank’s fees for deposits may vary. For withdrawals there is a fee of €0,15 for SEPA withdrawals. For Canadian users, there is a $1 fee to deposit or withdraw CAD.

Coinbase fees and costs

Coinbase has fairly high trading fees on its standard platform because it includes a spread in the price when traders use “Trade” to buy or sell cryptocurrencies, as well as in the exchange rate when it converts cryptocurrencies. When using the Pro platform these fees are instead 0.5% for both maker and taker trades and can be reduced through increased trading volume. All fees users have to pay are disclosed during the transaction, there are no hidden fees.

Fiat withdrawal and deposit fees

Crypto withdrawal and deposit fees

What is it like to use Coinbase?

Coinbase has designed its user interface, prompts and overall platform to be easy and usable for complete newcomers. Below are some of the interactions encountered on the exchange.

Getting started/KYC. You’ll need to create an account, including providing Know Your Customer (KYC) information. After that a funding method will be required.

Buy/sell/convert. Easy to use options for buying, selling and converting cryptocurrency. A spread is charged when using this method for trades.

Promotions. Coinbase offers lots of promotions such as its learning program and referral program. Users can invite friends and receive a bonus when they sign up.

Learn and Earn. Coinbase’s Learn and Earn program lets you learn about cryptocurrency. Watch videos and take quizzes in order to receive free cryptocurrency as a reward.

Coinbase Card. The Coinbase Card allows you to spend any cryptocurrency in your Coinbase wallet and earn rewards for each purchase. There is a 2.49% fee for all purchases made if not made in USDC.

Does Coinbase have good customer support?

Coinbase has live chat customer support available on its website. There is also a phone number for support on the Coinbase card or to lock an account if there is suspicious activity. Otherwise, Coinbase provides a knowledge base and an automated response system for answers via form replies. Users can also email Coinbase support directly and typically you’ll receive a reply in 1-3 days. Response times have been reported to be slow for many users.

List of services on Coinbase

Trading

Trading is the main service of the exchange. You can buy, sell or convert cryptocurrency instantly using the easy to use options available through the main platform. These transactions incur a price spread. On the Pro platform traders can set limit orders, stop loss, or buy and sell at market price. Though it may be more intimidating for newcomers to use the Pro version, it is free to access and comes with the added benefit of lower trading fees and no price spread.

Earning on Coinbase

Coinbase lets you earn cryptocurrency via staking. Stake assets like Tezos, Cosmos, Algorand and Ethereum and earn up to 5% interest. Staking these assets will give users a yearly return which can be compounded or spent elsewhere.

Users can also earn free cryptocurrency through the learning program. This involves traders learning about a specific crypto asset and answering a simple quiz in exchange for a portion of the coin or token of topic. For more information, check out Finder’s earning on Coinbase review.

Coinbase Visa debit card

Coinbase Card is a Visa debit card that lets you spend any cryptocurrency in your Coinbase portfolio or USDC anywhere Visa is accepted. Earn up to 4% in cryptocurrency rewards for every purchase. The card is free but there is a 2.49% fee for all non-USDC payments. The Visa card is available in 28 countries including the UK and US.

Is Coinbase safe? / Coinbase trust rating

Until October 2021, Coinbase had been free of any hacking incidents. While that is no longer the case, the incident was handled well. Coinbase has a long history of trustworthiness before the incident, including regular security audits and insurance policies in place to protect users.

Past hacks

In October 2021, the accounts of about 6,000 customers were hacked and their funds stolen. Coinbase reimbursed users the stolen funds. The hackers exploited a flaw in Coinbase’s SMS account recovery procedure. Following that, the hackers would have required the users’ personal information. There was no evidence that the users’ personal information was stolen from Coinbase, meaning that information was phished from the affected users. This is the only incidence of a hack at Coinbase.

Security audits

In 2020, Coinbase invited security audit firm Grant Thornton to carry out 2 security evaluations. Coinbase Custody, the cryptocurrency custody arm of the exchange, received a Service Organization Control (SOC) 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 audit.

The company said it would continue engaging with audit companies to conduct the SOC audits. By doing so, the company hopes to show clients that it is compliant with various security standards.

Insurance

Coinbase is insured for $255 million. This insurance is solely for coins stored in hot wallets. The policy is put in place by Aon insurance and is sourced from insurance companies in the US and UK. US cash funds are held in banks with FDIC insurance.

How to sign up on Coinbase

The sign-up process for Coinbase is a straightforward process. Users must be at least 18 years of age, and can do so following the proceeding steps.

• Step 1: Create an account

  Go to the Coinbase website or download the app on Google Store or Apple Store. You’ll need to enter your legal name, your email address, password and your country of residence. Coinbase will send you a link to confirm your email address.

• Step 2: Verify your phone number

  The verification link will send you back to Coinbase, where you’ll need to add your mobile number. You’ll receive a confirmation code to verify your phone number.

• Step 3: Enter your personal information

  Here, you’ll enter personal information such as date of birth and address. You’ll also add information like your source of funds, your job and employer.

• Step 4: Verify your identity

  Verify your identity. You can upload a driver’s licence, a national ID or a passport. You will also need to upload a selfie. Set up 2-step verification to add a layer of safety for your account.

• Step 5: Link a payment method

  Payment methods are different for each country. They include PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, SEPA transfer, wire transfer and debit card. Once you have linked a payment method you can use your account.

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