#coinbase

Coinbase Wallet is Coinbase’s self-custody product, not the Coinbase exchange. You hold the keys. Mobile + browser extension for the classic seed-phrase wallet; newer Smart Wallet / Base Account uses passkeys and ERC-4337 instead of 12 words. Strong Base / Ethereum / L2 path, plus Solana and Bitcoin on the classic app. Easy hop from a Coinbase exchange balance into onchain dApps. Hot wallet. In-app swaps often ~1%. Coinbase cannot reset a lost seed or passkey backup.

Coinbase is a U.S.-based crypto exchange built for people who want to buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other coins without wrestling with a complicated platform. It’s publicly listed (NASDAQ: COIN), heavily regulated, and widely treated as one of the safer on-ramps from bank money into crypto. The catch is cost — the default buy button is pricey — but Advanced Trade brings fees back into a more normal range if you bother to switch.