Coinbase · Coinbase User Agreement · View original document ↗

Unilateral Fee and Terms Modification

Medium severity Rare · 1 of 325 platforms
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Recent governance activity Coinbase recorded 6 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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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)

The clause establishes Coinbase's authority to unilaterally adjust the economic and operational terms of service, subject to notice requirements that vary by jurisdiction. This creates a framework where fee structures and policy terms remain subject to modification throughout the service relationship.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

High May 15, 2026

The updated terms establish a new arrangement for USDC designated as 'Secured USDC' in connection with the Coinbase One Card. Under the revised language, if you designate USDC in your wallet as Secured USDC, you agree that Coinbase may transfer that amount to a third party designated as the secured party, and you will be restricted from withdrawing or transferring those funds. Additionally, the secured party's instructions to Coinbase regarding those assets take priority over any conflicting instructions you provide. The agreement states that you consent to all such permitted transfers. This arrangement operates independently of amounts owed to Coinbase, meaning Secured USDC will not be debited to satisfy debts you owe to Coinbase.

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Medium May 2, 2026

The updated terms eliminate language that previously allowed Coinbase to restrict your withdrawals if you designated USDC as Secured USDC and to comply with third-party secured party instructions without your consent. Under the revised agreement, Coinbase will not transfer, loan, or otherwise handle your Supported Digital Assets except as required by law or as you instruct. This means the One Card Secured USDC mechanism is no longer integrated into the core asset protection clause, and users no longer face withdrawal restrictions or loss of instruction authority tied to that designation. If you currently hold Secured USDC under a separate One Card cardholder agreement, that agreement remains in effect but is no longer cross-referenced in the main User Agreement's asset protection section.

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Medium May 1, 2026

The updated terms establish a new exception to the prior prohibition on transferring user digital assets. Previously, Coinbase stated it would not transfer assets except as required by law or per user instruction. The revised language now permits Coinbase to transfer USDC designated as 'Secured USDC' to third parties pursuant to a Coinbase One Card cardholder agreement. Users who elect to use this feature agree they will be restricted from withdrawing or transferring the secured portion, and they consent to Coinbase following instructions from a designated secured party without further user approval, even if those instructions conflict with the user's own orders to Coinbase. The full terms of this arrangement are stated to be in Appendix 4, which is not included in this summary.

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Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users operate under fee and terms structures that Coinbase may alter, with notice timing dependent on state law requirements. In jurisdictions requiring notice, users receive at least 30 days advance notice before changes take effect; in other jurisdictions, the notice requirement does not apply.

How other platforms handle this

Stripe Medium

Stripe may modify these terms or the fees for the Services at any time by providing 30 days' notice to you. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of a modification constitutes your acceptance of the modified terms. If you do not agree to the modified terms, you may terminate th...

Hinge Medium

These terms may change from time to time. Notice of any material change will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. We may notify you of a change to the Terms via email, in-app notification, or other means; however, you are responsible for regularly checking this page for any changes...

GitHub Medium

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to amend these Terms of Service at any time and will update these Terms of Service in the event of any such amendments. We will notify our Users of material changes to this Agreement, such as price changes, at least 30 days prior to the change taking eff...

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
While Coinbase reserves the right to adjust its pricing and fees and any applicable waivers at any time, we may provide at least 30 days' prior notice of certain changes to our pricing schedule, or terms, conditions and policies to users in some states where required by applicable law.

— Excerpt from Coinbase's Coinbase User Agreement

Provision details

Document information
Document
Coinbase User Agreement
Entity
Coinbase
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 9, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000408
Document ID
CA-D-00047
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
3dc307b902ef1098b4f25d2d193ebebf46ef33ac6e1077fba19c28563a37eb5d
Analysis generated
May 9, 2026 19:59 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Coinbase
Document: Coinbase User Agreement
Record ID: CA-P-000408
Captured: 2026-05-09 19:59:08 UTC
SHA-256: 3dc307b902ef1098…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/coinbase/coinbase-user-agreement/unilateral-fee-and-terms-modification/
Accessed: May 20, 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 Unilateral Fee and Terms Modification clause do?

The clause establishes Coinbase's authority to unilaterally adjust the economic and operational terms of service, subject to notice requirements that vary by jurisdiction. This creates a framework where fee structures and policy terms remain subject to modification throughout the service relationship.

How does this clause affect you?

Users operate under fee and terms structures that Coinbase may alter, with notice timing dependent on state law requirements. In jurisdictions requiring notice, users receive at least 30 days advance notice before changes take effect; in other jurisdictions, the notice requirement does not apply.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 1 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.