Coinbase was founded in the USA in 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam, has been listed on Nasdaq since 2021 and is one of the largest crypto trading venues in the world; since switching to a remote-first model there is no traditional headquarters any more, and the company's legal seat is Delaware. For business in the European Union, Coinbase received a MiCA licence from the Luxembourg supervisor CSSF in June 2025 and made Luxembourg its European hub; German customers were subsequently moved to this structure. Historically notable: Coinbase Germany GmbH received a BaFin permit (BaFin is the German financial regulator) for crypto custody business in 2021, the first company ever to do so. For the security of customer holdings, however, the following applies: crypto balances are not a bank deposit and are therefore not covered by deposit protection (Einlagensicherung), and euro balances are held separately from company assets at partner banks or through an e-money structure. The platform suits investors who value a large, regulated and listed trading platform and are willing to accept higher fees in standard mode.

Special features

Coinbase Germany GmbH received the first BaFin permit for crypto custody business ever in 2021
Luxembourg as EU hub under MiCA since 2025, Ireland had previously been envisaged
Direct listing on Nasdaq in 2021 under the ticker COIN
Separate custody of customer holdings and regular proofs of reserves

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