BrokerBonuses
en
Coinbase logo

Coinbase

Crypto

Coinbase is the largest US-listed crypto exchange, regulated as a money transmitter and holding a New York BitLicense, with a MiCA license covering the EU. Its sign-up reward is paid in real, withdrawable crypto after a small qualifying trade. It is one of the more tightly regulated and transparent venues in crypto, which is a meaningful trust point.

Regulation

NYDFS · Tier-2 FinCEN · Tier-2
Visit Coinbase

Risk warning: Trading carries a high risk of losing money, especially with leveraged products such as CFDs. A bonus does not reduce that risk. Only deposit what you can afford to lose.

Coinbase bonuses (1 active)

1 Sign-up reward
4.6

Sign-up Reward in Bitcoin

Coinbase logo Coinbase

$200

Sign-up reward paid in Bitcoin, up to $200, after you deposit $25 and trade $100 within 180 days.

Checking availability…

About Coinbase

Profile checked against official sources on · How we rate

Company background

Coinbase was founded in June 2012 in San Francisco by Brian Armstrong, a former Airbnb engineer, and Fred Ehrsam, a former Goldman Sachs trader. Armstrong remains CEO. The company went public on Nasdaq under the ticker COIN in April 2021 via a direct listing, making it the first major US crypto exchange to list on a national stock exchange.

Coinbase has operated as a remote-first company since 2020 and does not designate a single formal headquarters, though it maintains offices in San Francisco, New York and Charlotte.

Regulation

In the US, Coinbase operates as a licensed money transmitter across the states that require one and holds a New York BitLicense from the NYDFS, obtained in 2017. In 2023 Coinbase settled with NYDFS for $50 million plus a $50 million compliance investment after the regulator found gaps in its anti-money-laundering program. The SEC sued Coinbase in June 2023, alleging it operated as an unregistered securities exchange; the SEC dismissed the case in February 2025 following a change in the agency's enforcement posture.

In the EU, Coinbase obtained a MiCA license as a crypto-asset service provider from Luxembourg's financial regulator in June 2025, letting it serve all 27 EU member states from one authorization. In the UK, its CB Payments Ltd entity is registered with the FCA as a cryptoasset firm and separately holds e-money authorization.

Products

The core Coinbase app offers a simple buy and sell interface aimed at beginners, which prices trades with a spread built in and charges roughly 0.5% to a few percent depending on size and payment method. Coinbase Advanced Trade is the same account viewed through a different interface, with visible order books, limit orders and a maker-taker fee schedule that starts near 0.4% maker and 0.6% taker and drops with volume. Funds are shared between the two.

Coinbase One is a paid subscription with three tiers: Basic at $4.99 a month, Preferred at $29.99 and Premium at $299.99, with lower effective rates if paid annually. Higher tiers waive trading fees up to larger monthly volume caps and add perks like boosted staking rewards. Coinbase supports staking on assets including ETH and SOL, taking a commission out of the rewards, on the order of 25% for ETH and closer to 35% for several other assets, so the advertised yield is not what lands in your account. Staking availability varies by state and country.

Sign-up incentives and promotions

Coinbase's standing sign-up mechanism is a refer-a-friend program, not a flat welcome bonus: both the referrer and the new user each receive $10 in Bitcoin after the new account completes a qualifying trade of at least $100 within 180 days of signing up. The trade has to go through the standard buy and sell flow; Advanced Trade orders do not count. Coinbase states it can change or end the program at any time.

Third-party affiliate sites advertise figures as high as $200, but that reflects an unofficial aggregate of stacked promotions rather than a single guaranteed reward. Treat the $10-per-side referral bonus as the reliable baseline and verify any larger figure directly against the terms shown at signup.

Coinbase Earn, the platform's former learn-to-earn program that paid small amounts of crypto for watching short videos and passing quizzes, was discontinued in May 2025. It is no longer available to new or existing users, despite still being listed on many affiliate roundups.

Practical notes

Verification requires a government-issued ID and, for US customers, a Social Security number or ITIN, consistent with standard obligations for a licensed money transmitter. Higher transaction and withdrawal limits require additional verification steps.

For US tax purposes, Coinbase issues Form 1099-MISC for miscellaneous income (including staking rewards) over $600 and, starting with the 2025 tax year, Form 1099-DA for reporting sales and exchanges to the IRS. Users remain responsible for reporting all taxable crypto activity even when it is not captured on a form.

Coinbase reports availability in more than 100 countries but restricts access in sanctioned jurisdictions and a number of other markets. Anyone outside the US or UK should confirm current availability and product access (staking, Coinbase One, card) on Coinbase's own site rather than assuming parity with the US product.

Pros

  • +Regulated in multiple major markets: NYDFS BitLicense and money transmitter status in the US, MiCA authorization in the EU via Luxembourg, FCA registration in the UK
  • +Publicly listed on Nasdaq (COIN) with SEC financial disclosure requirements
  • +Sign-up bonus is paid in real, withdrawable crypto rather than site credit or a trading-volume rebate
  • +Coinbase One gives a clear, published path to lower fees for regular users

Cons

  • −The referral bonus is a modest $10 in BTC per side, well below the inflated figures some affiliate sites advertise
  • −Learning Rewards, once a reliable way to earn free crypto, was discontinued in May 2025
  • −Simple trading has a real spread-based cost that can be several times higher than Advanced Trade for the same order
  • −Staking yields are reduced substantially by Coinbase's commission, and specific assets or features are unavailable in some US states and EEA countries

Frequently asked questions

Does Coinbase still offer a sign-up bonus?

Yes, through its referral program. A new user who signs up via a referral link and completes a trade of at least $100 within 180 days receives $10 in Bitcoin, and the referrer gets the same $10. There is no separate flat welcome bonus outside this referral mechanic.

Is Coinbase Earn (Learning Rewards) still active?

No. Coinbase discontinued its learn-to-earn program, which paid small crypto amounts for completing quizzes and lessons, in May 2025. It is not available to new or existing users.

Is Coinbase regulated?

Yes. In the US it holds a New York BitLicense and operates as a licensed money transmitter in the states that require one. In the EU it holds a MiCA crypto-asset service provider license issued in Luxembourg, covering all 27 EU states. In the UK, its CB Payments Ltd entity is registered with the FCA.

What happened with the SEC lawsuit against Coinbase?

The SEC sued Coinbase in June 2023 alleging it operated as an unregistered securities exchange and broker. The SEC dismissed the lawsuit in February 2025.

How much does Coinbase One cost?

Coinbase One has three tiers: Basic at $4.99 a month, Preferred at $29.99 and Premium at $299.99, with lower effective monthly cost if paid annually. Each tier waives trading fees up to a different monthly volume cap and adds extra perks at higher tiers.

Does Coinbase report crypto activity to the IRS?

For US users, Coinbase issues Form 1099-MISC for miscellaneous crypto income such as staking rewards over $600, and starting with the 2025 tax year, Form 1099-DA for sales and exchanges. Users must still report taxable activity that is not captured on a form.

Sources & verification