Investing Simple Logo
Get 1 Free Stock Worth Up To $200 From Robinhood!
Sign up with Robinhood, deposit any amount and get 1 Free Stock. It takes less than 3 minutes to sign up and claim your Free Stock Bonus.
Earn 5.00% APY with M1 High-Yield Savings Account
M1 Plus members can earn 5.00% APY on their deposits with no minimum balance required.
Get $5 FREE Bitcoin From Coinbase Today
Coinbase is offering new users a $5 bonus paid in Bitcoin. All you have to do is make your first crypto purchase after signing up.
Written by Logan Robison on July 16, 2021
Category: 
FTC Disclosure: Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. Read our full disclaimer here.

How Does Coinbase Work?

In mid-April of 2021, you most likely heard what everyone else in the crypto world heard – Coinbase is the next big thing in crypto. With its astounding initial public offering, valuing the company at over $100 billion, Coinbase set the crypto world ablaze and gained undeniable credibility.

Since that moment, maybe you have signed up for the exchange yourself. Or maybe you have been a long-time customer of the platform.

At any rate, this article is dedicated to breaking down how Coinbase works and what components stand out as critical for investors.

Don't forget to grab your free stock worth up to $200 from Robinhood today!

New to the world of Crypto? Check out my full Coinbase tutorial below!

Learn More: Robinhood Retirement 3% Match

Robinhood is a popular "all-in-one" investing app.

While they are most well-known for their commission free stock trading, they've recently shaken up the Retirement Investing World too.

Introducing Robinhood Retirement; home of the biggest IRA match on the market.

Robinhood IRA Boost

Here's what you need to know:

  • Robinhood offers 2 types of retirement accounts - the Roth IRA and Traditional IRA
  • All Robinhood investors will get a 1% Match on what they Contribute or Transfer
  • Robinhood Gold members will get a 3% Match - the biggest on the market

And don't worry, this comes with a Portfolio Builder Tool. You don't have to construct your investment portfolio from scratch if you don't want to.

Lastly, you'll even get a free stock worth up to $200 when you open a new Robinhood account using our link.

Best Free Stock Promotions

BrokeragePromotionLink
Robinhood Logo1 Free Fractional Share Worth Up To $200Learn More
Webull LogoEarn Up To 75 Free Fractional SharesLearn More
Moomoo Logo5 Free Stocks When You Deposit $100+Learn More
Acorns Logo$20 Bonus When You Invest $5+Learn More

What Is Coinbase?

Coinbase is an exchange platform that specializes in cryptocurrencies. It was founded in 2012 and although it is based in the U.S., the platform is available in over 100 countries and currently has more than 56 million users!

On the Coinbase platform, users can easily buy, sell, transfer, and store crypto. This crypto exchange allows users to store their coins for free but charges for services such as the purchase or sale of coins.

Coinbase has a variety of coins on the platform and includes the standards of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, etc. Other coins found on the platform (altcoins) are in abundance. There are currently over 25 different coins on the platform with plans to add more in the future.

How Do I Trade on Coinbase?

The actual purchase and sale of coins on the Coinbase platform is very simple and straightforward. Similar to Robinhood with the user experience of trading equities, Coinbase has made its user interface sleek and simple.

When you log into your account via your android or iOS app (or web version) you will see your portfolio balance followed by the coins in your watchlist. You can easily track their daily performance from this view or click on each one to get a more detailed look.

On the bottom ribbon of the app, you will see options to dive into your portfolio, transact, view prices, or modify your settings.

To transact, simply click on the symbol at the bottom middle of the ribbon and indicate whether you would like to buy, sell, convert, send, receive, or move cash. In this instance, let's say you are going to buy some bitcoin.

Once you click 'Buy', select the coin you are interested in and type in the dollar amount that you are looking to spend (the minimum order is $1.99).

Once you select 'Preview Buy' you will see a breakdown of all the fees associated with this purchase as well as when you should expect the funds to settle. Click 'Buy Now' to complete the transaction.

The process is very similar for selling, converting, and transferring coins.

How Does Coinbase Store My Coins?

Coinbase has two distinct apps that users can interact with. The first is the common Coinbase app that allows users to transact in cryptocurrencies. The second is the Coinbase Wallet. This is a separate app that gives you, the user, complete control over your coins.

Think of the standalone Coinbase app as a brokerage that will authorize transactions and automate crypto purchases and the Coinbase wallet as a traditional cash wallet that allows you to send, receive, and trade crypto.

The Coinbase Wallet is considered a non-custodial wallet meaning Coinbase will provide the software necessary to secure your crypto but will not store your information like a passcode. The responsibility of this information lies with the user.

Note that it is not necessary to download or use the Coinbase Wallet to store your crypto. However, experts recommend that you do not store your crypto in an exchange for the long term.

What Does Coinbase Charge in Fees?

As mentioned above, Coinbase does not charge a fee to store your crypto, nor does it charge you to transfer your coins to a different wallet.

It does, however, charge per transaction. All of these fees are upfront and visible before you decide to confirm each transaction.

Coinbase charges one-half of one percent (0.50%) for cryptocurrency purchases and cryptocurrency sales.

In addition, Coinbase charges a flat fee. This fee is the greater of (a) a flat fee or (b) a variable percentage (see below). The rates are as follows if the transaction is in the ranges below:

  • Less than or equal to $10, the fee is $0.99
  • More than $10 but less than or equal to $25, the fee is $1.49
  • Greater than $25 but less than or equal to $50, the fee is $1.99
  • More than $50 but less than or equal to $200, the fee is $2.99

The variable fee is determined by region, product feature, and payment type. For this example, we will use the USA though we encourage you to check out this site for details on your specific region.

How Does Coinbase Work: Final Thoughts

Coinbase is an exceptional exchange designed to give users a simple and easy cryptocurrency experience. Through the app, you can transact, convert, and store your cryptocurrencies. However, note that the fees on the Coinbase platform are relatively high compared to its competitors and it is recommended that you do not keep your coins on the Coinbase brokerage platform for long periods.

However, if you are looking for a simple way to invest in cryptocurrencies, then Coinbase might be a good option for you. If you aren't convinced that Coinbase is for you, be sure to check out the other platforms that have cryptocurrencies to find the right one for your goals.

Article written by Logan Robison
Logan graduated with a degree in finance from Brigham Young University and currently works in merchandising for a large retailer. In his free time he loves to hike and camp with his wife and son. Logan is also heavily involved in real estate investing and owns properties in Utah and Arkansas.

Read more

Power Your Investing

Choosing the right product and service is essential for your investing. Here are some of the tools and services to help your portfolio grow.
Robinhood
Robinhood provides an easy-to-use free trading platform for beginner investors. Robinhood has $0 account minimums. Get a free stock when you open an account below.
Try Robinhood
M1 Finance
M1 Finance offers a free investing platform where users can build portfolios of stocks and ETFs. Users can also choose from a variety of pre-built portfolios offered for free.
Try M1 Finance
Fundrise
Passively invest in private real estate deals with as little as $10. Fundrise allows you to own residential and commercial real estate across the U.S. starting at a 1% annual fee.
Try Fundrise
Copyright © 2018 – 2024 Investing Simple LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Investing Simple is a financial publisher that does not offer any personal financial advice or advocate the purchase or sale of any security or investment for any specific individual. Members should be aware that investment markets have inherent risks, and past performance does not assure future results. Investing Simple has advertising relationships with some of the offers listed on this website. The information on Investing Simple could be different from what you find when visiting a third-party website. All products are presented without warranty. For more information, please read our full disclaimer.
Website managed by Stallion Cognitive™
magnifiermenuchevron-downcross-circlechevron-down-circle

Get 1 Free Stock Worth Up To $200 From Robinhood!

Don't Miss This Opportunity!

Investing Simple readers can claim a free stock from Robinhood worth up to $200 when they open a brokerage account and deposit any amount.

For US Residents only. Investing Simple is affiliated with Robinhood, and we may earn a commission when you sign up for Robinhood.

18749
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram