Entering the crypto ecosystem can be very difficult, especially with the technically complex platforms. There is always a need for a user-friendly platform so that everyone can start their journey in crypto because it helps users feel in control from the start and turns an unknown process into a good experience.
To make this happen, here comes Coinbase crypto exchange, which is developed with a simple and user-friendly interface so that new users can easily enter the crypto market. Its interface is best from creating an account to placing an order, every step is very clear and easy to understand.
In this article, we will thoroughly review the Coinbase exchange, from its basics to advanced features, and also find out how it is one of the best crypto exchanges in 2025.
What is the Coinbase Exchange?
Coinbase is one of the oldest and major crypto exchange platforms that allows users to easily buy and trade cryptocurrencies. It was founded in 2012 by software engineer Brian Armstrong and forex trader Fred Ehrsam.
According to CoinMarketCap, Coinbase is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States by trading volume. It has a 24-hour trading volume of more than $4 billion.
Coinbase has a user base in more than 100 countries with 200+ assets traded securely. It is on a mission to increase economic freedom for more than 1 billion people and to update the century-old financial system by providing a trusted platform that makes it easy for people and institutions to engage with crypto assets.
Trading Services Provided by Coinbase
Below are the types of trading services offered by Coinbase:
Spot Trading
Spot Trading is the primary service of the Coinbase exchange, where users can buy and sell cryptocurrency at the current market price. This type of trading is useful for everyday investors to make good returns in the crypto market.
Advanced Trading
Coinbase’s advanced trading feature provides users with tools like charts, limit orders, order types, etc. This unique feature is mainly developed for experienced traders who want more control.
Perpetual Futures Trading
By using Coinbase Advanced Trade, users can work in perpetual futures trading, which allows them to hold leveraged positions settled in USDC. This feature is also developed for experienced traders who want to capitalize on market movements.
Margin Trading
Coinbase, before November 2020, supported margin trading, which helps users to borrow funds for large trades. However, due to regulatory issues, this feature was discontinued on the exchange.
Features of Coinbase Exchange
Below are some important features of the Coinbase exchange:
Coinbase Wallet
Coinbase Wallet is a trustless wallet that helps to store tokens, NFTs, and work with decentralized applications. It aids the users with asset swaps, wallet backups, and smart wallet integration, while providing user control and data privacy.
Coinbase One
By using a Coinbase One subscription, a user can trade with zero fees, get priority access to customer support, and have increased staking rewards. This feature is developed for regular traders who want to get more advantages at a reasonable price.
Coinbase staking
Through the Coinbase staking feature, users can participate in the network activities and earn passive income. This process enables the blockchains to carry out validation and security operations while users get rewards.
Coinbase Card
Coinbase Card is essentially a Visa debit card that changes your cryptocurrency assets to money which you can utilize for your daily expenses. The card gives the customers the ability to buy daily necessities as well as receive rewards in the form of cryptocurrency, thus guaranteeing a smooth transition of digital assets to a real-world financial situation.
Coinbase Prime
Coinbase Prime is a platform that offers tools meant to be used by institutions, for example, secure custody, deep liquidity, and complex analytics. This service is suitable for different entities like hedge funds, corporate treasuries, and other financial institutions that are searching for professional crypto asset management and trading solutions.
Coinbase Custody
Coinbase Custody is a depository service that provides cold storage services to institutional clients. The assets are kept in secure offline facilities that provide extra layers of security to the clients in terms of regulation, transparency, and comfort when dealing with large-scale crypto asset holders.
Coinbase Commerce
Coinbase Commerce helps merchants to easily accept payments in cryptocurrency. These encompass customizable checkout pages, real-time invoicing, and support for various digital currencies.
What makes Coinbase Unique?
Coinbase is inclusive of speed and diversity, it offers immediate, simple, and beginner-friendly trading and advanced tools for experienced traders. With 550+ spot pairs, real-time market data, and powerful charting via TradingView, users have it all – speed, control, and flexibility on any device.
Security is on priority at the Coinbase exchange platform. It is the world’s largest publicly traded crypto exchange and holds customer assets in a 1:1 ratio and never lends its customers’ crypto without their consent. Security features like 2FA, biometric login, and Yubikey ensure better security for every user.
Coinbase is globally trusted because it supports more than 200 assets, provides fast account setup, and offers low-fee trading. Through this platform, users can earn rewards on USDC and stake assets like ETH or SOL for up to 10% APY, which makes it a complete solution for crypto investing, trading, and earning.
Coinbase Fees Structure
There are varying fees for different types of services, which are as follows:
Spot Trading Fees
Coinbase uses a maker and taker fees model, which starts from 0.60% and 1.20%, respectively. A user can get a discount on fees based on their trading volume, which can go as low as 0.00% for makers and 0.05% for takers.
Deposit Fees
Deposit fees on the Coinbase exchange vary based on the type of currency a user deposits and the method used to deposit. For example, on depositing cryptocurrency there are no fees and if a user deposits fiat that it may incur fees which is different for different fiat currencies.
Withdrawal Fees
Withdrawal fees on Coinbase are also based on the crypto assets withdrawn and the network used to withdraw. The faster and more efficient network may cost less, while a slow and popular network like Ethereum may cost high withdrawal fees. For example, if a user withdraws Bitcoin then it may cost 0.0001 BTC.
Staking Fees
Coinbase offers staking services where users get a chance to earn yields on their holdings, and the platform takes a percentage of their earned rewards as a staking fee for managing the process. For example, if a user stakes coins like ATOM, ADA, DOT, or SOL, then a standard staking fee of 35% is charged.
Pros and Cons of the Coinbase Exchange
| Pros | Cons |
| Has a beginner-friendly interface, which makes it simple to trade. | The transaction fees on coinbase are higher as compared to some other crypto exchanges. |
| Offers users access to more 250 different digital tokens. | The fee structure on the exchange can be confusing and lacks clear breakdowns. |
| It provides strong security with features like two-factor authentication (2FA), insurance protection, etc. | Coinbase’s customer support system is slow, with some issues going unresolved. |
| It Includes learning tools to educate users about crypto. | At Coinbase, users do not have control over their private keys. |
Final Thoughts
Coinbase is one of the top crypto exchange in 2025, which offer customers with user-friendly interface, strong security, a range of features, etc, for both new and experienced traders etc. Its tools, like Coinbase One, Coinbase Wallet, and Coinbase Prime, provide extra value to the ecosystem.
However, users should be cautious about the fee structure, limited control over private keys, etc, before using this platform. Always review the terms and conditions, understand the costs, and do your own research before investing to avoid any financial loss.
