Coinbase · Coinbase User Agreement

Identity Verification and KYC Requirements

Medium severity
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What it is

Coinbase requires you to provide personal information to verify your identity before you can use the platform, including government ID and other documentation, and may request additional verification at any time.

Why it matters

You must share sensitive personal information including government-issued ID with Coinbase, and failure to provide requested documentation can result in your account being restricted or closed.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

KYC/CIP requirements reflect obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act, FinCEN's Customer Due Diligence (CDD) Final Rule, and applicable OFAC screening requirements; institutional clients should assess Coinbase's compliance program maturity and data handling practices as part of vendor risk management.

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Consumer impact

Coinbase's terms give the company significant unilateral power to freeze, suspend, or terminate user accounts with limited recourse, and cap the company's financial liability to just three months of fees paid — regardless of the value of assets affected. Cryptocurrency holdings on Coinbase are explicitly not covered by FDIC or SIPC insurance, meaning users bear the full risk of platform insolvency. You can opt out of the mandatory arbitration clause by sending written notice to Coinbase within 30 days of first accepting the agreement.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC oversees data security and privacy practices around sensitive personal information collected by financial services companies.
    File a complaint →
  • CFPB
    The CFPB can investigate discriminatory or unfair identity verification practices that restrict consumer access to financial services.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Coinbase User Agreement
Entity
Coinbase
Document last updated
March 24, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 15, 2026
Last verified
March 15, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-00047007
Document ID
CA-D-00047
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
01b1277f7c2be0d14ec084de2ab702b162ec4d4e4c5a3b617486bec74990b304
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Coinbase | Document: Coinbase User Agreement | Record: CA-P-00047007
Captured: 2026-03-15 11:59:56 UTC | SHA-256: 01b1277f7c2be0d1…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/coinbase/coinbase-user-agreement/identity-verification-and-kyc-requirements/
Accessed: April 4, 2026
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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