Key Takeaways
- Before starting your application, gather all the required business documents and make sure the scans are clear and high-quality;
- Opening a Coinbase Corporate account generally only takes a few steps, but approval depends on whether you meet the requirements;
- Once approved, your business can access Coinbase's secure crypto custody, integrated payments, and accounting connections.
Ace quick missions & earn crypto rewards while gaining real-world Web3 skills. Participate Now! 🔥
If you've been wondering how to open a Coinbase corporate account, you're definitely not alone. More and more businesses are turning to crypto for an investment, as well as a way to handle payments and manage their treasury more efficiently.
The good news is that Coinbase makes this process fairly straightforward. With just a few clicks, you can access institutional-grade features, strong compliance support, and API integrations. Based on my experience, it's not overly complicated, though you still need to prepare some documents before getting started.
To make sure you don't miss a single thing, I've put together a step-by-step guide along with a checklist of the documents you may need.
Did you know?
Subscribe - We publish new crypto explainer videos every week!
What is Basic Attention Token (BAT)? Brave Browser EASILY Explained
Table of Contents
- 1. Required Documents for Coinbase Corporate Account
- 2. How to Open a Coinbase Corporate Account
- 2.1. Create a Coinbase Account and Verify It
- 2.2. Add Business Information
- 2.3. Check Verification Status
- 3. Common Challenges and How to Avoid Delays
- 4. Benefits After Approval
- 5. Other Types of Coinbase Accounts
- 6. Alternatives to a Coinbase Corporate Account
- 6.1. Binance VIP and Institutional
- 6.2. Kraken Institutional
- 6.3. OKX Instutional
- 6.4. BitPay
- 7. Conclusions
Required Documents for Coinbase Corporate Account
Before you learn how to open a Coinbase Corporate account, it's important to understand the documents you'll need to submit in advance. This way, you can prepare them beforehand and have them ready when uploading.
Latest Changelly Coupon Found:Coinbase offers several types of corporate accounts. In this guide, I focus mainly on Coinbase Business. If you’re interested in other options, such as Coinbase Prime, consider exploring their dedicated resources.
Coinbase requires the following documents to verify your company's legitimacy, ownership, and compliance with regulations. The exact list can vary depending on your region and business type, but most companies are requested to provide:
1
Business registration certificate. This is the primary proof that your company legally exists. Issued by your country's corporate registrar or business authority, it shows your official business name, registration number, and incorporation date.
2
Proof of business address. Coinbase requires evidence of your company's operating address to verify where the business is based. Accepted documents typically include utility bills, lease agreements, or government-issued letters that clearly display your business name and full address.
3
Articles or memorandum of association. These documents outline your company's purpose and governance to specify shareholder rights, director responsibilities, and the company's objectives. Coinbase uses this to confirm that it aligns with the type of account you're applying for.
4
Authorized representative list. It shows an individual who acts on behalf of your company. Coinbase needs this to know who's authorized to manage the account, submit applications, and sign agreements for compliance and fraud prevention.
5
Shareholder or member register. This register lists all individuals with ownership stakes in your company for Know Your Business (KYB) and ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO). It shows the names of shareholders or members, their shareholding percentages, and sometimes their contact details.
6
Source of funds documentation. This shows that your business funds are legitimate and not linked to money laundering. Coinbase may ask for financial statements, recent bank records, or even contracts that show how your company generates revenue.
7
Company constitution (if applicable). Not all businesses have a constitution, but for those that do, this document sets out the company's principles and governance structure. Coinbase may request it to better understand how your company is run.
So, can a company open a Coinbase account? Sure, as long as the owner provides relevant documents. Doing that helps Coinbase make sure your business is legitimate, transparent, and ready to operate within its compliance framework. My suggestion is to prepare high-quality, accurate, and consistent files to reduce the chance of rejection and speed up your onboarding process.
If your documents are in a language other than English, prepare certified translations alongside the original.
Looking for more in-depth information on related topics? We have gathered similar articles for you to spare your time. Take a look!
How to Open a Coinbase Corporate Account
I'll walk you through the entire process step by step on how to open a Coinbase Corporate account, from creating your account to getting your account approved.
At the time of writing, Coinbase Business is still in the "coming soon" stage, which means you can't open an account just yet.
Instead, you need to join the waitlist to get early access once the service goes live by entering your email address and some business details, like your business name and the number of employees.
I actually created my Coinbase Business account about six months ago, so I've gone through the process myself. What I'll share below is my experience of opening the account. Keep in mind that the platform is currently updating this service, so some details may change once the new version officially launches.
Create a Coinbase Account and Verify It
Understanding how to open a Coinbase Corporate account starts with signing up with your email address or other available methods. Thankfully, the process is generally straightforward due to the exchange's intuitive interface. Follow these steps:
Use an email address that hasn't been linked to a Coinbase account before.
Your Coinbase account is now set up. The next step is to provide detailed information about your business, which may take some time but is essential for verification.
Add Business Information
Before you can proceed, Coinbase requires some essential details about your business to verify its legitimacy and ensure compliance with regulations. This includes both basic company information and supporting documents related to your operations, tax details, and authorized representatives.
Client Type | Description |
|---|---|
Individuals and Personal Trusts | ✓ Direct individual accounts (not sole member LLC or other related entities) ✓ Trusts (revocable, irrevocable) |
Financial Institutions | ✓ Banks, Broker-Dealers ✓ Money-Service Businesses ✓ Custodian Trust Companies ✓ Virtual Asset Service Providers ✓ Crypto Exchanges |
Investment Manager or Pooled Investment Vehicles/Funds | ✓ Investment Advisors ✓ Hedge Funds ✓ Private Equity Funds ✓ Venture Capital Funds ✓ Pension Funds ✓ ERISA and other retirement funds or trusts |
Operating Companies | ✓ Entities conducting daily business activities (e.g., energy companies, manufacturing companies, technology companies) |
Non-Operating Companies | ✓ Entities primarily holding assets (e.g, holding companies, legal entities for personal investment like self-directed IRAs/401ks, personal investment corporations, family offices |
Charities and Other Nonprofits | ✓ Charities ✓ Nonprofits ✓ Endowments |
Other | ✓ Governments ✓ DAOs ✓ Other miscellaneous entities |
Table: Client types on Coinbase's Business account
Most companies may fall under either "Operating Companies" (for businesses running day-to-day activities) or "Non-Operating Companies" (for entities focused on asset holding and investments).
If you're managing funds, select Investment Manager or Pooled Investment Vehicles. For organizations with a social mission, Charities and Nonprofits is the right choice.
- Entity Type (e.g., LLC, Corporation, Nonprofit)
- Anticipated Monthly Activity (your expected trading or transaction volume)
- Issuer Information (if your entity issues crypto tokens)
- Customer Location (where your clients are generally based)
- Funding Sources (how you intend to fund the account)
Review your entries carefully, then click [Save].
Check Verification Status
After doing everything you learned about how to open a Coinbase account, you may want to keep track of where it stands in the review process. Coinbase provides a simple way to monitor your application directly from your business account. Here are the steps on how to do it:
![How to open a Coinbase Corporate account: the Coinbase Business menu, with [Applications] selected.](https://assets.bitdegree.org/images/how-to-open-a-coinbase-corporate-account-application-status.jpg "How to open a Coinbase Corporate account: the Coinbase Business menu, with [Applications] selected.")
The possible status updates are:
Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
In Progress | You are still completing your application, or additional information is required. |
Submitted | Your application has been submitted successfully. |
In Review | The Coinbase Prime Onboarding Team is currently reviewing your application. |
Approved | Your application has been approved. |
Table: Coinbase application status
Staying proactive during this stage helps you avoid unnecessary delays and ensure a smoother onboarding experience. If your application is approved, you can automatically move forward to setting up your corporate account features and funding your account.
However, if your application is rejected, being proactive allows you to quickly identify the issue, make the necessary adjustments, and resubmit without losing valuable time.
Navigating the Coinbase Company account onboarding process can be smooth when everything goes right. However, a range of technical hiccups and support bottlenecks can interrupt the progress.
One of the most common issues is mismatched or missing details. If the submitted business information (e.g., legal name, tax ID, authorized representative's DOB or ID) doesn't match the documentation exactly, the automated system may flag your application or delay verification.
Triple-check every detail, including spelling, formatting (e.g., "LLC" VS "L.L.C."), and date order (MM/DD/YYYY VS DD/MM/YYYY).
If that happened, the system is more likely to request more details after submission. In this case, respond promptly, ensure clarity, and don't repeat the same mistake.
Low-resolution scans or unclear photographs of your business registration or proof of address are another reason that causes your corporate Coinbase account application to be rejected. To avoid these setbacks, ensure that every document you submit is clear, legible, and uploaded in the correct format.
Document should be a true copy (PDF format preferred), clear quality, and smaller than 4MB.
Getting deeper into community platforms, I also found several users encountered glitches that hindered their progress in opening a corporate Coinbase account. First, several users thought that the system gave the wrong rejection reason in that case.
For example, a user received a rejection notice saying their application was denied because a $1,000 onboarding fee wasn't paid. However, at no point in their application process were they ever asked to pay such a fee.
One user with an institutional account experienced a roadblock when Coinbase's system asked for personal IDs (like a driver's license) to confirm deposits, despite being a business entity.
When this occurs, reach out to support with your case number and clarify the status. Some users reported delayed responses, though, so it may take persistence or multiple follow-ups before your issue is resolved. To speed things up, keep all related documents and screenshots ready to share with the support team.
Benefits After Approval
Once your Coinbase Business account is approved, your company can unlock a powerful and streamlined crypto-enabled financial ecosystem:
- Seamless crypto payments and payouts;
- Effortless accounting and reconciliation;
- All-in-one trading management;
- Fee-free onboarding;
- Passive income potential.
The first benefit you can look forward to is the effortless crypto payments and payouts. You can receive customer payments in crypto with instant settlements, with no delays or chargebacks, as well as pay vendors, employees, or partners directly from the same platform.
📚 Read More: Who Accepts Bitcoin?
It's also possible to integrate seamlessly with your existing systems through APIs, allowing automatic payouts and smooth cash flow management. Coinbase Business works with multiple platforms, including Quickbooks and Xero via trusted partners Cointracker and Crypto Tax Calculator.
Nonetheless, at the core of its advantages is the unified crypto and asset management. You gain a full-service platform to manage, buy, sell, and exchange cryptocurrencies directly via your business dashboard while benefiting from Coinbase's industry-standard security protocols.
Coinbase Custody operates as a Limited Purpose Trust Company, monitored under the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS). This setup means Coinbase Custody is officially recognized as a "qualified custodian", which is a legal term for an organization trusted to hold financial assets on behalf of clients.
In practice, it puts Coinbase under the same kind of rules and oversight that banks and other big financial institutions must follow in New York.
Coinbase must meet capital, anti-money laundering (AML), confidentiality, and security standards comparable to the Depository Trust Company (DTC).
As a result, instead of just being "a crypto company", Coinbase Custody is treated more like a regulated financial institution, giving businesses extra confidence that their assets are protected according to strict laws.
Coinbase also distinguishes itself as the first crypto custodian to complete both SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 audits. These are independently conducted by trusted auditors to validate internal controls over financial reporting and security processes.
SOC 2, specifically, makes sure the current practices and long-term sustainability[1] of an organization's security controls are effective. So, successfully completing a SOC 2 audit can be a strong validation that Coinbase's systems meet operational standards.
Besides the security protocols, the team also mentions that it will soon launch multi-user access to enable secure team collaboration.
Other Types of Coinbase Accounts
When you sign up for Coinbase, you notice different account types, right? Those options are designed for a range of specialized firms, such as crypto brokerages, asset managers, and investment funds. They're established to help both individuals and institutions manage their digital asset strategies.[2]
In such cases, Coinbase offers several account types besides the Coinbase Pro Corporate account we discussed. Here are a few worth knowing for entrepreneurs:
1
Commerce. It's built for merchants running a business that sells goods or services. This lets them accept cryptocurrency payments via their website or app using tools for checkout pages, invoices, and crypto payments into the existing system.
2
Prime. This is a Coinbase account for company and institution owners that need advanced trading, custody, staking, and financing tools. It provides things like multi-entity portfolio management, API access, and institutional-grade controls.
Developers and companies that "share the vision" with Coinbase related to crypto innovation can also engage with other programs like Coinbase Ventures (if applicable) or via developer tools/APIs. These aren't typical "account types" per se, but more pathways to partner or build on the Coinbase ecosystem.
Alternatives to a Coinbase Corporate Account
Coinbase is among the most popular options for businesses entering the crypto world, but it's not the only option available. Depending on your company's size, region, or trading needs, another platform may suit you better. So, let's explore some top alternatives!
Binance VIP and Institutional
Binance VIP and Institutional is a premium service designed for large-scale clients such as corporations, asset managers, hedge funds, family offices, and brokers. One of its core features is advanced execution and OTC services, which allow clients to handle large-volume trades efficiently without causing slippage in the market.
Another major advantage of Binance Institutional is its broker and liquidity programs. These are tailored for businesses that need direct access to deep liquidity pools across spot, margin, and futures markets.
Binance also provides a dedicated VIP portal where institutions can access customized reporting, automation tools, detailed performance analytics, and promotional opportunities.
To qualify for Binance’s VIP tiers, clients must reach specific trading volume thresholds or hold a required balance of BNB tokens.
For instance, VIP Level 1 requires a 30-day trading volume of at least $1,000,000 and a minimum balance of 25 BNB. These eligibility criteria are evaluated daily, and accounts are automatically upgraded or downgraded based on recent activity.
When compared to Coinbase Business, the differences are quite clear. Binance Institutional is built for high-volume, global trading and comes with advanced liquidity solutions, flexible execution, and specialized reporting.
In contrast, Coinbase Business suits more to small and medium-sized businesses that want a simpler way to integrate crypto into their operations. It comes with secure custody, direct crypto transactions, and useful integrations with accounting tools, but it doesn't offer tiered VIP services or specialized derivatives trading like Binance does.
📚 Read More: Binance Review
Did you know?
Subscribe - We publish new crypto explainer videos every week!
How to Create an NFT: Easiest Way (Animated Explainer)
Kraken Institutional
Kraken Institutional is the umbrella brand for Kraken's crypto services tailored for trading firms, asset managers, banks, brokers, and investment advisors. These institutions can benefit from Kraken's deep liquidity, advanced APIs, and global availability to provide digital asset solutions to their clients.
The platform offers access to more than 370 assets and supports REST, WebSocket, and FIX 4.4 protocols, so institutions can automate liquidity provisioning more seamlessly.
Beyond the features, Kraken Institutional includes institutional-grade products:
1
Spot trading. Access to high-liquidity spot and stablecoin order books.
2
Futures. Exposure to derivative markets without having to hold the underlying crypto (availability varies by region).
3
Custody. Secure storage with transparent, on-chain asset tracking, built for compliance via Kraken Financial.
4
Staking. Earn rewards while supporting network validation through multiple staking options.
5
OTC. Personalized, large-quantity trading through over-the-counter channels.
6
Kraken Embed. A Crypto-as-a-Service solution that enables banks and fintechs to integrate seamless, compliant crypto trading into their platforms, without needing to develop backend infrastructure from scratch.
Interestingly, Kraken provides case studies to show how institutions have used its services. This way, you can see how the product works in the real world. What caught my eye is its collaboration with a leading European bank.
The bank became the first Tier-1 institution in the EU to offer crypto services to its clients through a partnership with Kraken. It used Kraken’s infrastructure and achieved several strategic advantages, including new revenue streams, full regulatory compliance with EU standards, and retained customer funds.
So, compared to learning how to open a Coinbase Corporate account, understanding how Kraken Institutional works may be more beneficial if your goal is to offer crypto services to clients at scale.
📚 Read More: Kraken Review
OKX Instutional
OKX Institutional is OKX's high-performance platform for institutions, including hedge funds, asset managers, brokers, banks, family offices, nonprofit organizations, and governments. It equips them with professional-grade crypto trading and custody capabilities.
At its core, the platform handles massive institutional trade volumes reliably, with:
- A 99.99% system uptime;
- Support for 700+ spot and fiat trading pairs;
- 280+ derivatives options;
Notably, this platform has delivered results with impressive performance metrics, like $108 billion in peak daily trading volume and over $40 trillion in total traded value.
OKX Institutional includes various helpful tools. My personal favorite is Nitro Spreads, a spread order book to trade spreads and basis. With this feature, you can also explore many trading strategies, such as funding rate arbitrage, calendar spread, and spot futures carry trade with ease.
There's also a Request-for-Quote (RFQ) OTC liquidity service for custom multi-leg strategies across spot, futures, and options markets.
Besides the performance, it also delivers top-tier security and compliance. OKX has achieved SOC 1 Type 2 certification to make sure the data and assets are protected with advanced encryption and strict access controls.
Moreover, OKX has partnered with popular custodians, including Standard Chartered for third-party custody and Komainu for secure off-exchange custody solutions. This partnership has enabled institutions to segregate their assets while still trading on OKX.
📚 Read More: How to Open a Company Account on OKX
- Secure and reliable
- Accepts fiat currencies
- Lots of trading options
- Reputable exchange
- Accepts fiat currencies
- Offers various trading options
- Beginner-friendly
- Secure
- Decent trading and withdrawal fees
- Crypto.com Visa Card
- Automated tools & bots
- Ecosystem synergy with CRO
- Accepts fiat currencies
- Simple to use
- Supports only trusted cryptocurrencies
- A leading cryptocurrency exchange platform
- Best for all type investors
- Accepts fiat currencies
BitPay
The previously mentioned options mostly offer services for institutions, so which platform can process crypto management for small or medium-sized businesses? I think BitPay can be the answer.
BitPay is a non-custodial wallet and payments platform designed for businesses that want to send, receive, and manage cryptocurrency. It offers a business-focused crypto payment gateway complete with features for merchandise management, billing, settlements, and even payroll.
Many big companies like Microsoft and Shopify have worked with BitPay as their crypto payment partner.
It supports more than 100 cryptocurrencies, including top assets like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), as well as a wide range of altcoins such as Litecoin (LTC), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Ripple (XRP).
BitPay also offers tiered pricing based on your invoice volume. Below $500k per month, the fee is 2% + 25¢ per invoice. That drops to 1.5% + 25¢ for $500k–$1M, and further to 1% + 25¢ once you exceed $1M in monthly volume.
Similar to Coinbase Business, you can connect BitPay to QuickBooks – it even provides direct access. From your BitPay merchant dashboard, easily export transaction records as a .IIF file and import them into QuickBooks.
Browse our collection of the most thorough Crypto Exchange related articles, guides & tutorials. Always be in the know & make informed decisions!
Conclusions
Now that you know how to open a Coinbase corporate account, the next step is to put that knowledge into action. While the application may take some time, especially when preparing documents, I think the benefits are well worth it for your business growth.
Once approved, your business can instantly access Coinbase's ecosystem, from secure crypto payouts to accounting integrations. If your application isn't approved the first time, staying proactive should help identify issues, make adjustments, and reapply more effectively.
Take the first step into institutional crypto. Apply for your Coinbase corporate account in just a few clicks.
The content published on this website is not aimed to give any kind of financial, investment, trading, or any other form of advice. BitDegree.org does not endorse or suggest you to buy, sell or hold any kind of cryptocurrency. Before making financial investment decisions, do consult your financial advisor.
Scientific References
1. Sabillon R., Higuera J. R. B., Cano J., Higuera J. B., Montalvo J. A. S.: 'Assessing the Effectiveness of Cyber Domain Controls When Conducting Cybersecurity Audits: Insights from Higher Education Institutions in Canada';
2. Ullah S.: 'Intention to Use Cryptocurrencies for Business Transactions: The Case of North Carolina'.
About Article's Experts & Analysts
