Coinbase Exchange Platform Review

Founded in 2012, Coinbase has grown into a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, making digital assets accessible to customers worldwide. The exchange operates in more than 100 countries, including the UK, and services a vast client base encompassing over 110 million registered customers. It holds over $328 billion in crypto assets and has a quarterly trading volume of around $393 billion as of March 2025, positioning itself as a major player in the evolving cryptocurrency landscape.

Coinbase offers a comprehensive selection of over 240 cryptocurrencies, allowing UK clients to buy and sell digital assets on the spot or store them in secure hosted or self-custody wallets. Users benefit from GBP deposits and withdrawals, local payment options, and tailored customer support.

Beyond trading and storage, the exchange offers incentives like staking that enable users to earn rewards on eligible crypto holdings. In early February 2025, Coinbase achieved yet another major milestone by obtaining a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registration from the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), cementing its reputation as a regulatory compliant crypto exchange.

Highlights of Coinbase

• Access to a broad range of over 240 cryptocurrencies and more than 350 spot markets, including popular tokens and emerging altcoins.
• The tiered maker-taker fee structure on Coinbase Advanced significantly reduces the trading costs for high-volume investors.
• Staking is available for 130 digital assets, with competitive yields and automatic reward compounding.
• Seamless access to decentralised applications (dApps) directly from the Coinbase Wallet.
• Flexible, multi-channel fiat onramps including free GBP bank deposits and popular payment methods like PayPal.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Coinbase

Available Markets and Products at Coinbase

Coinbase offers UK users a wide variety of markets to suit different investment styles, from popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to newer altcoins. The platform mainly supports spot trading, so you can easily buy and sell digital assets directly. Plus, there are options to earn passive income through staking some of your crypto.

As of mid-2025, Coinbase does not enable UK customers to trade crypto derivatives like futures or perpetual contracts due to FCA restrictions. Retail investors can engage in spot market trading only, with margin and derivatives trading remaining banned for the time being.

While Coinbase Advanced offers futures and perpetual crypto derivatives in other jurisdictions like the US, these products are not accessible to UK users. Coinbase Advanced in the UK provides enhanced spot trading features, including advanced order types, access to TradingView charts, real-time order books, and lower fees.

Spot Trading at Coinbase

UK customers on Coinbase have access to a broad spectrum of over 240 cryptocurrencies, altcoins, and stablecoins for spot trading. This extensive selection includes highly popular and liquid assets like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP), Cardano (ADA), and Solana (SOL). Beyond these well-established options, Coinbase also lists many emerging altcoins to the benefit of customers interested in investing in newer crypto projects.

Examples of these newer assets include Pepe, Aptos, Pudgy Penguins, Sei, Algorand, and Bonk, among others. Stablecoins include Tether, USDC, Dai, and Ethena. Users can conveniently purchase these assets using various payment methods, including debit cards, bank transfers, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal.

The platform offers over 350 spot markets, offering a wide array of trading pairs. UK customers can buy cryptocurrencies using pounds sterling or other fiat currencies like the euro and US dollars. To enhance the trading experience, markets can be filtered by various criteria, including timeframe, currency, and performance metrics such as top gainers and top losers, allowing traders to quickly identify opportunities.

• Quick fiat purchases via Apple Pay, PayPal, and more
• Over 350 markets including stablecoin pairs with lower fees
• Tiered maker-taker fees for active traders
• Buy crypto with GBP, EUR, and USD
• Lots of emerging tokens available

Staking at Coinbase

Coinbase offers staking services for a selection of over 130 proof-of-stake cryptocurrencies, allowing users to earn rewards by contributing to network stability and liquidity. Some of the digital assets that can be staked on the platform include popular options like Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Polkadot, Cosmos, Polygon, Avalanche, and Sui.

*Staking APYs can fluctuate and depend on network conditions.

Staking with Coinbase is designed to be straightforward, enabling users to earn passive income without needing extensive technical knowledge. Estimated annual percentage yields (APYs) vary by asset, as shown in the table above. For instance, Cosmos can offer up to 14.71%, while Solana and Ethereum have lower rates of 5.13% and 1.92%, respectively.

• Automatic compounding of rewards
• Real-time, transparent APY updates
• Coinbase manages technical staking risks
• Some options allow instant liquidity or unstaking
• Yields often higher than traditional savings rates

Trading Costs at Coinbase

Trading on Coinbase involves a tiered maker-taker fee system, where your trading fees decrease as your 30-day volume increases. Most spot trades start with taker fees of around 0.6% but can drop much lower for active traders. Maker fees for top-volume tiers can be as low as 0%.

Non-trading charges, like deposit or withdrawal fees, vary by payment method. Domestic bank transfers are typically free to deposit but may incur a small fee for withdrawals. Debit card or PayPal payments often have higher fees. Staking comes with a service commission deducted from rewards.

While Coinbase publishes fee details in its fee schedule and shows charges at checkout, the multiple costs and tiered rates for different volumes can make the overall cost structure tricky to navigate for new users.

Spreads

On the Coinbase standard platform, spreads constitute a significant component of the trading cost, integrated directly into the quoted buy or sell price rather than being charged as a separate fee. The spread is essentially the difference between the price at which Coinbase buys an asset from the market and the price at which it sells that asset to a user, or vice versa.

This mechanism allows Coinbase to lock in a price for a brief period while a user reviews their transaction, ensuring price certainty for the customer despite the volatile nature of the cryptocurrency markets. Generally, spreads tend to be wider on the simpler Coinbase interface compared to the more advanced Coinbase Advanced platform, where a different fee model applies as customers have direct access to the order book.

Users can view the applicable spread in the trade preview screen before confirming any buy, sell, or convert order by tapping/clicking on the tooltip next to the asset’s price or exchange rate. While spreads aim to guarantee a quoted price, Coinbase may retain any excess spread from a transaction, and these can fluctuate based on market conditions, order size, and liquidity.

Maker/Taker Fees

Coinbase Advanced uses a tier-based maker/taker fee model, which contrasts with the spread-based pricing of the standard platform. Under this model, fees are determined by a user’s total trading volume over the preceding 30-day period.

Maker orders are those that add liquidity to the order book (like limit orders placed below the market price that are not immediately filled) and typically incur lower fees. Conversely, taker orders reduce liquidity from the order book (like market orders that are filled instantly), and thus incur higher fees.

The Coinbase fee structure is progressive, meaning that the more a user trades, the lower their percentage-based fees become. Users with the lowest trading volume pay taker fees of 0.60% and maker fees of 0.40%. Taker fees dramatically decline to 0.05% for customers at the highest tier, while maker fees are completely eliminated.

Non-Trading Costs

Beyond direct trading charges, Coinbase users should anticipate several non-trading costs associated with managing their accounts and using ancillary services. On the positive side, Coinbase explicitly states it charges no inactivity fees, which is beneficial for long-term and low-frequency traders.

Some non-trading costs are related to the Coinbase Card. While Coinbase itself does not charge transaction fees for spending, a spread is applied to the cryptocurrency conversion when making purchases. Additionally, ATM operators may levy their own fees for withdrawals.

Coinbase charges a commission on the staking rewards earned by users from the network. The standard commission is typically around 35% of the gross rewards for assets like Ether, Solana, and Polkadot. The commission rates are often lower for Coinbase One members.

When users try to send unsupported cryptocurrencies to their Coinbase account, a network fee is charged for asset recovery. For recoveries exceeding an estimated value of $100, or the equivalent in pounds sterling, an additional 5% fee is applied to the amount above $100.

Deposit and withdrawal fees vary by payment method and region. UK users generally enjoy free bank transfer deposits, while SWIFT withdrawals to a UK bank account may incur a small fixed fee of £1.

Coinbase Trading Platforms

Coinbase offers its services across several platforms, primarily accessible via desktop and mobile applications. The ecosystem is bifurcated into two main trading interfaces, starting with the standard Coinbase platform for regular users and beginners. The Coinbase Advanced interface provides more sophisticated tools for experienced traders. A separate wallet exists for self-custody of digital assets.

Standard Platform

The standard Coinbase platform is suitable for beginners and regular users seeking a straightforward experience for buying, selling, and managing their cryptocurrencies. Its intuitive interface streamlines the trading process and enables seamless navigation for those new to the crypto market.

Users can quickly execute simple buy and sell market orders, convert different cryptocurrencies, and manage their portfolios with ease. The interface prioritises user-friendliness and accessibility.

• Simplified interface for ease of use
• Offers direct buy, sell, and exchange functionalities
• Suitable for cryptocurrency beginners
• Streamlined portfolio management
• Focus on accessibility over advanced features

Coinbase Advanced

Coinbase Advanced is suitable for more experienced traders, offering a robust suite of tools for in-depth market analysis and precise trade execution. It provides access to real-time order books, allowing users to place advanced order types including limit and stop-limit orders.

Coinbase Advanced additionally has powerful charting capabilities powered by TradingView, complete with various technical indicators and drawing tools to aid decision-making. API access is available to users who wish to engage in automated trading.

• Advanced order types (limit, stop-limit, TWAP)
• Real-time order book access
• Integrated TradingView charts with analytical tools
• Lower, volume-based maker/taker fees
• Suited for experienced and analytical traders

Coinbase Wallet (Base)

The Base Wallet is a non-custodial cryptocurrency wallet that allows users to maintain full control over their private keys and digital assets. Users are solely responsible for managing their funds, offering a higher degree of security and autonomy compared to custodial wallets.

A key feature of this self-custodial model is the 12-word recovery phrase, which allows users to recreate their wallet on any compatible device or recover their passwords and private keys.

The wallet supports a wide array of cryptocurrencies, enabling users to store, send, and receive digital assets. It also provides access to decentralised applications (dApps) and the broader Web3 ecosystem, allowing for interaction with DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, and other blockchain-based services directly from the wallet.

• Non-custodial, user-controlled private keys
• Supports a wide range of 5,500 digital assets
• Access to decentralised applications (dApps)
• Enables interaction with DeFi and Web3
• Offers enhanced security and autonomy for asset management

Mobile Trading at Coinbase

Coinbase provides a seamless mobile experience, offering two distinct applications to accommodate different needs. The primary Coinbase mobile app for Android and iOS mirrors the functionality of the standard desktop platform. It enables users to buy, sell, and manage their cryptocurrency portfolio on the go, with real-time price charts and market alerts.

The app has minimum system requirements of iOS 15.1 and Android 8.1 or later. The app supports various security features, including PIN codes and biometric authentication with fingerprint or facial login.

In addition to its main trading app, Coinbase also offers the Base Wallet, previously known as the Coinbase Wallet. This separate, non-custodial application is for users who prefer to maintain full control over their private keys and assets. The Base Wallet provides a secure entry point to the Web3 ecosystem, allowing users to interact with decentralised applications. To protect your holdings on the Base Wallet, you can enable additional security measures like PIN codes and biometric authentication. The wallet app is available in English and 24 other languages.

While the Coinbase mobile app is custodial and linked to your Coinbase account, the Base Wallet offers self-custody with enhanced user autonomy. The Base Wallet does not currently have a dedicated desktop app but can be accessed on desktop via its browser extension.

Account Types Available at Coinbase

Coinbase users have access to a unified account system, meaning there are no separate or distinct account types in the traditional sense. Upon registration, new customers create a single account that enables trading, investing, and crypto custody. The account is compatible with all Coinbase trading interfaces, including the standard platform and the more sophisticated Coinbase Advanced.

No Separate Retail Account Types

Coinbase Advanced is not a standalone account but rather an integrated mode within the same Coinbase account. It accommodates customers who require more advanced trading tools such as limit and stop orders, TradingView-powered charts, access to order books and APIs for algorithmic trading. Customers can enable these features directly from their existing accounts without the need for any additional registration.

Non-Custodial Storage via Base

Beyond the custodial Coinbase account, the exchange offers a separate wallet that was recently rebranded as the Base Wallet. Unlike the main Coinbase account, where cryptocurrencies are held in custodial storage by the exchange, Base provides a non-custodial, self-managed environment where customers maintain full control of their private keys and digital assets.

Coinbase One Subscription

Coinbase also offers an optional subscription service within the standard account called Coinbase One. Subscribing is associated with various benefits, including no trading fees on simple buy and sell transactions, higher staking rewards, priority customer support and access to additional tools. Coinbase One is not a separate account type but a premium tier available to existing customers.

• Free subscription to CoinTracker for Base users
• Access to a convenient Crypto Tax Calculator
• 90-day free access to the crypto research and analysis platform Messari
• Coinbase One subscription plan costs £19.99 per month
• No trading fees, although spreads may still apply

Institutional Account

Coinbase offers a dedicated account to institutional crypto investors through Coinbase Prime, with a different onboarding process, higher barrier to entry, and tailored service agreements. This account type is primarily intended for organisations and high-net-worth individuals rather than retail customers. Institutional clients have access to both spot and derivative markets, including perpetual futures.

They benefit from cold storage with insurance and the Prime Onchain Wallet, which supports secure onchain transactions and offers access to decentralised applications. Participation in KYC-authenticated Verified Pools enables onchain liquidity with reduced counterparty risk and transparency.

Bespoke financing, lending, smart order execution, and dedicated account management are included, with tailored onboarding and legal agreements for organisations and high-net-worth individuals. Coinbase Prime’s custody also supports staking, governance, and broad asset coverage for institutional portfolio diversification.

• Access to over 420 assets
• Institutional-grade cold storage and insurance cover
• Crypto-backed loans and margin trading support
• Advanced reporting, analytics, and portfolio insights
• Seamless integration between custody, wallet, and exchange platforms

Customer Support at Coinbase

Coinbase maintains several communication channels, including email, live chat, and telephone. The UK telephone lines are available 24/7 via two separate numbers: +44 808 168 4635 (toll-free) and +44 151 308 1768 (local number). Additionally, customers can reach Coinbase through the contact form on the website.

While telephone and email support are staffed by human agents, the live chat is serviced by a virtual assistant and users must sign in to access it. This can be a major inconvenience for onboarding clients seeking information prior to registering.

Alternatively, users can turn to the comprehensive Help section on the website for detailed information on account security, fees, account management, and troubleshooting. The exchange also maintains an active presence on social media platforms, including X, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, where they share updates, engage with investors, and make important announcements.

Coinbase Regulatory Background and Compliance

Coinbase was founded in 2012 in San Francisco, where it still maintains its corporate headquarters, with co-founder Brian Armstrong currently serving as its CEO. The parent company, Coinbase Global, Inc., is publicly traded on Nasdaq and became a constituent of the S&P 500 in May 2025. The UK division, CB Payments Ltd, has registered offices at 107 Cheapside (9th floor), London, EC2V 6DN.

The exchange holds a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) registration granted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), under firm reference number (FRN) 900635. The registration authorises Coinbase to provide crypto-asset exchange and custody services to UK investors while complying with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing requirements.

Coinbase has also procured regulatory approval in other European countries, including authorisations from the Central Bank of Ireland, BaFin in Germany, DNB in the Netherlands, and the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) in Luxembourg. The exchange is gradually progressing toward full compliance with the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) requirements in the European Union. Globally, Coinbase holds licences in jurisdictions like the US, Canada, Singapore, and Bermuda, reflecting its commitment to regulatory compliance.

Client Security at Coinbase

Coinbase has various systems in place to detect and prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. The exchange has adopted a proactive approach to customer due diligence, verifying identities and performing enhanced checks for high-risk clients like politically exposed persons. All customers must submit verification documents during the onboarding process and cannot create accounts without confirming their identities.

As an FCA authorised VASP, Coinbase safeguards customer funds by holding them in segregated accounts, ensuring client money remains separate from the company’s operational funds. This segregation protects customers in the event of insolvency, as their balances cannot be used by Coinbase for other purposes.

Coinbase employs strong cybersecurity measures, including governance, risk management, and operational controls to guard against cyber threats. A significant portion of crypto assets is kept offline in cold storage. Two-factor authentication (2FA) and withdrawal whitelists provide additional user account security.

In line with FCA consumer protection requirements, the exchange publishes clear risk warnings and disclosures that crypto assets are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), highlighting their high-risk, unprotected status. Leverage and derivatives are unavailable to retail investors.

What UK Crypto Investors Say about Coinbase?

Coinbase holds a consumer rating of 3.9/5 stars on Trustpilot, based on approximately 18,400 reviews at publication, with around 38% of these being 5-star ratings. UK customers generally appreciate Coinbase for its user-friendly interface, ease of buying and selling cryptocurrencies, and robust security features. Many beginners find the platform accessible and straightforward for entering the crypto market.

Common complaints from users centre on Coinbase’s relatively high fees and occasional difficulties with customer support. Several reviews highlight long waiting times and challenges reaching live human assistance, which can frustrate users experiencing account issues. Some individuals reported being put on hold for hours on the telephone line. Despite this, Coinbase remains popular among investors who value regulatory compliance and platform reliability.