Coinbase
coinbase.comFounding Story
Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam founded Coinbase in June 2012 as a secure platform for buying and selling Bitcoin. It quickly expanded its asset base and services, rising to become the premier regulated cryptocurrency company in the US.
Key Milestones
It was founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam.
In May 2013, Coinbase received a US$5 million Series A investment led by Fred Wilson from the venture capital firm Union Square Ventures.
In January 2015, Coinbase received a US$75 million investment, led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, the New York Stock Exchange, USAA, and several banks.
In May 2016, Coinbase rebranded the Coinbase Exchange, changing the name to Global Digital Asset Exchange (GDAX).
In January and then March 2017, Coinbase obtained BitLicense and was licensed to trade in Ethereum and Litecoin from the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS).
On February 16, 2018, Coinbase admitted that some customers were overcharged in error for credit and debit purchases of cryptocurrencies.
In January 2019, Coinbase stopped all trading on Ethereum Classic due to a suspicion of an attack on the network.
In May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Coinbase announced it was shifting completely to remote work and would no longer recognize a formal headquarters.
Funding History
| Date | Round | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Seed | $600K |
| 2013 | Series A | $6.1M |
| 2018 | Series E | $300M |
| 2021 | Direct Listing | N/A |