The short version
- Score: 3.4/5, ranked 7 of 16 exchanges we rate
- Strongest: Access (5.0/5)
- Weakest: Fees (0.6/5)
- US users: accepted
This review is generated from public evidence. Every point below links to the fee page, license, audit or report it came from, and the same rules score every exchange we cover. Evidence was last checked on Sep 30, 2026.
Blocklr score: 3.4/5
| Category | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Security and trust | 3.8/5 | 40% |
| Fees | 0.6/5 | 20% |
| Features | 3.6/5 | 15% |
| Access | 5.0/5 | 15% |
| Support | 5.0/5 | 10% |
How Coinbase earned its score
Security and trust: 3.8/5
| What we checked | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Reserve assurance | 3 / 3 | Publicly listed: audited financial statements cover customer assets. source |
| Incident record since 2019 | 2 / 4 | 2 incidents since 2019. |
| Regulatory record since 2019 | 2 / 4 | 5 fines, bans or pleas since 2019. |
| Licensing | 3 / 3 | Licensed in the US or EU: New York Virtual Currency Business Activity License (BitLicense) 122466, New York Money Transmitter License MT 103755, US state money transmitter licenses (listed state by state). source |
| Account protection | 3 / 3 | Offers authenticator 2FA, passkeys or security keys, withdrawal allowlist. source |
Fees: 0.6/5
| What we checked | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spot taker fee (base tier) | 0 / 4 | 0.9% taker fee at the base tier. source |
| Spot maker fee (base tier) | 0 / 3 | 0.5% maker fee at the base tier. source |
| Free bank deposits | 1 / 1 | Free ACH or SEPA deposits. source |
Features: 3.6/5
| What we checked | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Coins listed | 2 / 3 | About 275 coins listed. source |
| Products | 3 / 4 | Offers staking, futures, trading API. source |
Access: 5.0/5
| What we checked | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| US availability | 3 / 3 | Available across the United States. source |
| Mobile apps | 1 / 1 | iOS and Android apps. |
Support: 5.0/5
| What we checked | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Support channels | 3 / 3 | Offers live chat, phone, 24/7 coverage. source |
Track record since 2019
Incidents
- 2025 · Data breach: Disclosed May 15, 2025: bribed overseas support agents copied account data for less than 1% of monthly transacting users, and the attackers demanded $20 million. No passwords, private keys or funds were exposed. Coinbase refused to pay and said it would reimburse retail customers tricked into sending funds to the attacker, after review. source
- 2021 · Hack: Between March and May 20, 2021, attackers used phished credentials plus a flaw in Coinbase's SMS account-recovery process to take funds from about 6,000 customer accounts. Total amount not disclosed. Coinbase said it credited affected accounts with the value removed. source
Regulators and courts
- 2025 · Lawsuit dismissed (SEC): February 27, 2025: the SEC filed a joint stipulation to dismiss its 2023 civil enforcement action against Coinbase. The SEC said the decision was not based on the merits. source
- 2025 · Fine or settlement (Central Bank of Ireland): November 6, 2025: the Central Bank of Ireland fined Coinbase Europe Limited EUR 21,464,734 (about $24.7 million) for breaching anti-money-laundering transaction-monitoring obligations between April 23, 2021 and March 19, 2025; the figure reflects a 30% settlement discount. USD figure is an approximate conversion. Amount: $25 million. source
- 2024 · Fine or settlement (UK FCA): July 25, 2024: CB Payments Limited, part of the Coinbase Group, fined GBP 3,503,546 (about $4.5 million) for onboarding 13,416 high-risk customers in breach of a requirement. USD figure is an approximate conversion. Amount: $4 million. source
- 2023 · Fine or settlement (NYDFS): January 4, 2023: $50 million penalty for anti-money-laundering program failures, plus a required $50 million of compliance spending over two years. Amount: $50 million. source
- 2023 · Fine or settlement (De Nederlandsche Bank): January 18, 2023: administrative fine of EUR 3,325,000 (about $3.6 million) on Coinbase Europe Limited for providing crypto services in the Netherlands without registration until September 22, 2022. USD figure is an approximate conversion. Amount: $4 million. source
- 2021 · Fine or settlement (CFTC): March 19, 2021: $6.5 million civil penalty for false, misleading or inaccurate reporting of digital-asset transactions and wash trading by a former employee on GDAX (2015-2018). Amount: $6 million. source
Who Coinbase fits
A good fit if
- You are in the US and want a licensed exchange.
- You want a wide choice of coins (about 275 listed).
Think twice if
- Fees matter most: the base taker fee is 0.9%.
- You want proof of reserves: none was found.
Goes to the official site. Blocklr earns nothing from this link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coinbase available in the US?
Yes. Coinbase is available across the United States. Coinbase announced availability in Hawaii in August 2024, the last state it had not served; its licenses page lists state licenses including New York.
What are Coinbase's trading fees?
At the base tier, Coinbase charges 0.5% for maker orders and 0.9% for taker orders on spot trades. Fees fall as your monthly volume rises.
Has Coinbase been hacked?
Yes. We found 1 hack since 2019; the details and sources are in the track record above.
How is Coinbase's score calculated?
Coinbase scores 3.4/5. The score is calculated by fixed rules from public evidence, and the same rules apply to every exchange. No company can pay to change it.
About this review
Blocklr has no affiliate, advertising or sponsorship deal with Coinbase or any other platform, so nothing here was paid for. Scores come from the rules in our review methodology. A fact we could not confirm scores as the lowest tier, which can make a score lower than it deserves. If something is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will check the source and correct it.