Coinbase Custody Trust Company

Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC (S&P 500 member since May 2025)

centralised custody

Risk Rating

2/5

Low

Established

2012-06-01

Custody Since

2018-01-01

Assets Under Custody

$300.0B

Regulatory Licenses

NY Trust Charter

New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS)

active
View Regulator

National Trust Company Charter (Pending OCC)

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)

pending
View Regulator

Qualified Custodian (SEC)

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

active
View Regulator

BitLicense

NYDFS

active
Effective: 2017-03-22
View Regulator

Money Transmitter Licenses (multiple states)

active

Risk Assessment

regulatory standing22/25
proof of reserves quality12/25
counterparty concentration10/25
operational historical8/25

Assessment Rationale

Coinbase holds strongest regulatory standing among wrapped Bitcoin custodians. Full MiCA CASP authorization from Luxembourg CSSF (June 2025) - first US exchange with EU license. Also holds NY Trust Charter, SEC Qualified Custodian status, and pending OCC National Trust Charter. Public company (NASDAQ: COIN) with robust compliance infrastructure. Lower risk score due to: (1) Self-attested proof of reserves (no third-party audit), (2) Centralized custody model (single counterparty), (3) Base L2 integration adds smart contract risk layer, (4) Limited operating history for cbBTC (launched Sept 2024).

Historical Incidents

SEC Wells Notice Received

high

2023-03-22

Coinbase received SEC Wells Notice regarding potential securities law violations. This was subsequently dismissed with prejudice on February 27, 2025.

Resolution: Dismissed with prejudice by SEC

Proof of Reserves

Methodology

self attested

Frequency

annual

Auditor

Deloitte SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II

Limitations

  • SOC audits are annual
  • Limited public attestations compared to competitors
  • Relies on Coinbase's custody infrastructure transparency

Supported Assets

Jurisdictions

Available

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Disclaimer

Risk ratings and regulatory information are for educational purposes only. Always conduct your own due diligence before selecting a custodian. Not financial or legal advice.