Coinbase charges fees for its Services, as further described in our fee schedule. We may charge network fees (miner fees) to process a cryptocurrency transaction on your behalf. Coinbase will calculate the fee at our discretion, although we will always notify you of the applicable fee at the time of the transaction and before you complete the transaction. In addition to the fees listed in our fee schedule, Coinbase may charge a spread when you buy or sell cryptocurrency.
The spread is effectively a hidden markup on your cryptocurrency purchase or sale price that is separate from the disclosed transaction fee, meaning the total cost of trading on Coinbase may be significantly higher than the listed fee alone suggests.
Coinbase's User Agreement gives the company broad unilateral powers to suspend accounts, freeze funds, and reverse transactions with limited notice, directly affecting your access to your money and cryptocurrency. In the event of Coinbase's insolvency, cryptocurrency held in your Coinbase account may be treated as Coinbase's property under bankruptcy law, leaving you as an unsecured creditor rather than the outright owner of your assets. You can withdraw your cryptocurrency to a self-custodied hardware or software wallet to avoid platform insolvency risk, and you can opt out of mandatory arbitration by sending written notice to Coinbase within 30 days of first accepting the agreement.