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 small, a bonus shown as $5 in USDC for joining through a referral link and making a qualifying purchase, but it is paid in real crypto you keep. It is one of the more tightly regulated and transparent venues in crypto, which is a meaningful trust point.
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
New Coinbase users who join through a referral link and make a qualifying purchase within 90 days get a bonus that varies by country, shown as $5 in USDC. Coinbase Advanced referrals pay $5 to $50 based on trading volume in the first 14 days.
Profile checked against official sources on · How we rate
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.
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.
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.
Coinbase's standing sign-up mechanism is a refer-a-friend program, not a flat welcome bonus: a new user who joins through a referral link gets a bonus that Coinbase says varies by country, shown as $5 in USDC, after making a minimum qualifying purchase in a single transaction with a bank account, debit card or credit card within 90 days of becoming eligible to trade. A separate Coinbase Advanced referral pays the invited user by trading volume in the first 14 days: $5 for more than $100, $20 for more than $5,000 and $50 for more than $10,000, and it is not available in the UK, Turkey, the Philippines or Canada. Coinbase states it can change or end the program at any time.
The larger Bitcoin reward you may see advertised, a random $10 to $2,000 in BTC for a first purchase of $50 or more, is a separate US-only offer for new users who did not sign up through a referral link, and Coinbase says 99% of recipients get $10 to $100. Joining through a referral link rules you out of it, so US users should compare the two before signing up and treat bigger figures on affiliate sites with caution.
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.
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.
Yes, through its referral program. A new user who signs up via a referral link and makes a minimum qualifying purchase within 90 days of becoming eligible to trade gets a bonus that varies by country, shown as $5 in USDC. In the US, new users who do not use a referral link can instead get a random $10 to $2,000 Bitcoin reward for a first purchase of $50 or more, and 99% of them receive $10 to $100.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.