Provision record
Coinbase · Coinbase User Agreement · View original document ↗

Limitation of Liability

Medium severity Medium confidence Explicit document language Common · 287 of 352 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

This provision excludes Coinbase's liability for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, and consequential damages, including loss of data, revenue, profits, or other financial benefits, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

This analysis describes what Coinbase's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This clause limits the categories of damages users may recover from Coinbase in the event of service failures, unauthorized transactions, data breaches, or other platform-related losses, restricting recovery to direct damages subject to any applicable liability cap stated elsewhere in the agreement.

Interpretive note: Enforceability of consequential damage exclusions varies by jurisdiction and may be limited by applicable consumer protection or financial services regulation.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Sep 3, 2026

The updated terms expand Coinbase's authority to liquidate customer assets without notice to cover clearinghouse losses. Previously, liquidation was authorized only if you failed to pay for securities purchased or failed to deliver securities sold. The revised language now also permits liquidation if a transfer of securities into your account at CCM fails or is reversed. This means the platform can use your property to cover losses stemming from incoming transfer failures, in addition to settlement failures on your own trades. The authorization continues to require only that CCM make a demand for payment to Coinbase, without notice to you.

View change record →
High Jul 23, 2026

The updated terms establish procedures for handling protocol upgrades and define Coinbase's role in migrating customer assets to new versions. Under the revised language, by maintaining a Coinbase account, customers are deemed to have instructed Coinbase to conduct Coinbase Supported Migrations on their behalf at times and in manner Coinbase solely determines appropriate. The agreement further states that Coinbase shall not be liable or responsible for any loss resulting from inability to transfer Digital Assets during a migration or from the Asset Transformation itself. This expands Coinbase's authority to act without advance notice while eliminating liability for migration-related losses.

View change record →
Medium Jul 7, 2026

The updated terms now explicitly disclose Coinbase's fee structure for California residents, establishing a $10 maximum fee for transactions under $200 and a 6% maximum for larger transactions, though actual fees displayed at checkout may be lower based on payment method, order size, market conditions, and location. The revised agreement also clarifies that virtual currency transactions may be irreversible and provides links to procedures for reporting unauthorized transactions, updating contact information, and accessing transaction receipts. Coinbase commits to providing California residents at least 14 days' prior notice of material changes to fees or terms affecting their accounts.

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Clause Stability Mostly Stable

1
Change
6
Months Monitored
Apr 4, 2026
First Seen
May 22, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 4261 other provisions on other platforms.
This clause has changed once in 6 months of monitoring.

Change history

modified Jul 23, 2026

Changed from unlimited liability exemption to specific monetary cap tied to digital asset wallet value, adding concrete liability ceiling.

View full change record →
modified Jun 9, 2026

Current version removed the specific cap on liability amount (value of digital currency on deposit), expanded list of protected parties, added punitive damages explicitly, and broadened categories of excluded damages.

View full change record →
modified May 15, 2026

Changed from general damages limitation to absolute cap on liability equaling only the value of digital currency on deposit in user's account, with capitalized language for emphasis.

View full change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

The agreement excludes Coinbase's liability for consequential and indirect damages, including financial losses resulting from platform outages, transaction errors, or account actions. Applicable law may limit the enforceability of this exclusion in certain consumer or jurisdictional contexts.

How other platforms handle this

ActiveCampaign Medium

If you knowingly misrepresent that any activity or material on our Services is infringing, you may be liable to ActiveCampaign for certain costs and damages.

Leonardo AI Medium

A party's liability for any Liability under these Terms will be reduced proportionately to the extent the relevant Liability was caused or contributed to by the actions (or inactions) of the other party...

Netflix Medium

The Netflix service and/or some of the Netflix content may not be available at any time as a result of events beyond our reasonable control...we will not be held liable should such events occur.

See all platforms with this clause type →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL COINBASE, ITS AFFILIATES, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE SHAREHOLDERS, MEMBERS, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, ATTORNEYS, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, SUPPLIERS OR CONTRACTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR SIMILAR DAMAGES OR LIABILITIES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF DATA, INFORMATION, REVENUE, PROFITS OR OTHER BUSINESSES OR FINANCIAL BENEFITS) WHETHER UNDER CONTRACT, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STATUTE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER THEORY EVEN IF COINBASE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Excerpt from Coinbase's User Agreement

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Limitation of liability clauses in consumer financial services agreements interact with state consumer protection statutes that may restrict the enforceability of consequential damage exclusions in consumer contracts.

Insight

Unlock the full institutional analysis

Enforcement risk, jurisdiction flags, contract triggers, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • Federal Trade Commission (ftc)
    Oversees unfair or deceptive business practices and can investigate companies that mislead consumers about data collection, sharing, or use.
    Who can file: Anyone affected by the company's practices (US or international)
    What you need: Your account details, a timeline of relevant events, and a description of the specific issue
    What to expect: Complaints inform FTC enforcement priorities and investigations but do not result in individual resolution or compensation
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
Coinbase User Agreement
Entity
Coinbase
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 21, 2026
Last verified
May 21, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-002034
Document ID
CA-D-00047
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
144d728e6ebf97624553aa154f83f0328e1dee9c75ab4de6cdeee73980db79c6
Analysis generated
May 21, 2026 02:35 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Coinbase
Document: Coinbase User Agreement
Record ID: CA-P-002034
Captured: 2026-05-21 02:35:56 UTC
SHA-256: 144d728e6ebf9762…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/coinbase/coinbase-user-agreement/provision/CA-P-002034/limitation-of-liability/
Accessed: Sept. 8, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Coinbase's Limitation of Liability clause do?

This clause limits the categories of damages users may recover from Coinbase in the event of service failures, unauthorized transactions, data breaches, or other platform-related losses, restricting recovery to direct damages subject to any applicable liability cap stated elsewhere in the agreement.

How does this clause affect you?

The agreement excludes Coinbase's liability for consequential and indirect damages, including financial losses resulting from platform outages, transaction errors, or account actions. Applicable law may limit the enforceability of this exclusion in certain consumer or jurisdictional contexts.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 287 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Coinbase?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Coinbase.