Coinbase, step by step.

STEP 01

First: what is Coinbase?

Coinbase is a service, available through a website and an app, where you can exchange euros for cryptocurrencies, then hold or sell them. Coinbase is the intermediary carrying out these operations at your request. It is not a cryptocurrency.

A cryptocurrency is a digital asset that can be held and transferred using a blockchain: a record shared across computers on a network. Bitcoin is one such asset; BTC is its symbol. Ether, written ETH, is the asset used on the Ethereum network. Buying BTC means getting an amount of bitcoin, not shares in the Coinbase company.

In the Coinbase account described here, the company holds the technical means of moving the crypto: the private keys. You give instructions through your account. A purchase credits your balance at Coinbase; it does not automatically send the crypto to an address you control. This is called custodial storage. An outage, account restriction or problem at the intermediary can therefore affect your access.

With a self-custody wallet, you control those authorisation methods and their backup. The app manages access to crypto recorded on the blockchain; it does not store coins inside your phone. This requires extra care and is not needed to read this guide.

This guide covers spot buying: paying to obtain crypto, without borrowing or leverage. The amounts are used only for learning. A cryptocurrency’s price can fall sharply and the entire amount invested can be lost.

Before starting: I know whether I want to learn, buy, withdraw euros or send crypto. I can learn without opening an account.

STEP 02

Create an account and verify your identity

Creating an account gives access to the service; it does not buy anything. For this France-based route, you must be an adult and have access to email, a phone and accepted identification. Coinbase checks who the account belongs to: this is identity verification, sometimes called KYC.

1. Open coinbase.com or get the app using the official website. Choose sign-up and follow email and phone verification.
2. Use accurate information matching your ID. Answer the questions shown for your country and read the terms before accepting them.
3. Follow the ID and live-selfie request within Coinbase. Proof of address may also be requested. Do not email these documents to support or send them to someone on social media.
4. For EU residents, Coinbase also asks for tax residence and a tax identification number, meaning the identifier used by the tax authority. Have these ready; do not copy the fields from a US tutorial.

Check: Coinbase says identity verification is complete. If pending or rejected, read the reason in your account; depositing money does not resolve this.

STEP 03

Secure access before depositing

A password can be stolen. Two-step verification, or 2FA, asks for an additional proof to access the account. For example, an authenticator app can generate a temporary code to enter in Coinbase. You enter that code yourself; you do not read it out to an agent.

Coinbase also offers passkeys: sign-in credentials used with your device, generally unlocked with its PIN or biometrics. A physical security key is another sign-in method. Choose a method you understand and plan how to access the account if you lose your device.

1. In Coinbase security settings, review your 2FA methods. Coinbase recommends options including security keys and passkeys with a backup.
2. Secure your email account too. If using a password, make it unique. Make sure you understand how to recover access if you lose your phone.
3. Does a supposed support agent ask for a code or a transfer to a “safe wallet”? Stop the conversation. Open official support yourself to check.

Check: a stronger sign-in method is configured and you know the backup route. Secure your email account too: it may be used to recover account access.

STEP 04

Add euros: this is not a purchase yet

A balance is the amount held in a part of your account; the amount available to use or withdraw may be lower. EUR means euros: a balance of 40 EUR holds 40 euros. Depositing means transferring euros from your bank to that Coinbase balance. The money changes location, not type: you have not bought any crypto yet.

There are two routes, depending on the methods offered to your account. With a bank transfer, you deposit euros and then decide on a separate purchase. With an accepted card, you can pay directly for a purchase without depositing first. Costs and timing can differ; check them before choosing.

1. After account verification, open payment methods in settings. Use a payment method in your own name.
2. To deposit through SEPA, the euro bank-transfer system, look for Add cash or Deposit, then the euro account. Coinbase provides the payee name, IBAN (the receiving bank account identifier) and reference instructions.
3. The reference helps match the transfer to your Coinbase account. Copy the one requested in your account exactly, without replacing it with a comment.
4. Enter those details in your bank and verify them before sending. Never use an IBAN from a tutorial, comment or private message.
5. Wait for Coinbase to credit the deposit. Documentation gives 1–3 business days for SEPA; the timing shown in your account and any checks still matter.

Check: the EUR balance increases. The deposit alone has not bought any BTC or ETH.

STEP 05

Prepare a purchase and read the preview

Buying exchanges an amount of euros for an amount of crypto. You do not need to buy a whole bitcoin: amounts can be fractional, subject to the accepted minimum. The price shown for 1 BTC is used to calculate the fraction your amount buys.

EUR answers “how many euros?” and BTC answers “how many bitcoins?”. A field showing 20 EUR means twenty euros; a field showing 20 BTC means twenty bitcoins. Always read the unit before continuing.

1. In the simple interface, look for Buy on the website, or Buy & sell then Buy on mobile. Choose the crypto, checking its name and symbol. If you reach an order book or a different product, return to simple buying.
2. Enter the amount in the correct unit. Check the payment method and frequency: one-time if you do not want a repeating purchase.
3. Open Review order: this is the preview. The total charged is the amount taken from the selected payment method. Check that total, the fees, the crypto quantity and frequency. Going back at this stage does not make the purchase.
4. Final confirmation makes a real purchase. After a purchase you choose to make, check the receipt and the quantity held in your history. This tutorial does not make any purchase.

After a completed purchase, check that the crypto quantity increased. When paying from the EUR balance, that balance decreases; when paying by card, check the card charge. The crypto price can then change without another purchase.

STEP 06

Understand the cost before confirming

Distinguish the price used to convert your euros from separately displayed fees. For simple purchases, Coinbase builds an adjustment called a spread into its quoted price. When buying, a higher price per bitcoin gives fewer BTC for the same amount. The spread is already in that price: it is not another amount to subtract.

Fees and spread vary by transaction. In the preview, open the details beside the price to inspect them. A chart price and your purchase quote can differ; focus on the total you will pay and the quantity received.

A bank deposit, a purchase and a blockchain send are separate operations. To estimate the whole route, note the cost of each without adding a cost twice when it is already included.

The useful question: “For this total charge, how much crypto will I actually receive?”

STEP 07

Return to euros, then to your bank

Do you see “€30” next to your bitcoin? That is an estimate of its euro value, not necessarily thirty euros ready to withdraw. Getting money back to your bank generally requires two actions: sell the crypto for euros, then withdraw those euros to your bank account.

Selling changes what you hold: less crypto, more euros. Withdrawing changes where the euros are: fewer on Coinbase, more at the bank after receipt. Sending crypto is different again: it moves crypto to an address without selling it.

1. Open Sell, choose the asset and quantity. Check that the destination is the EUR balance if that is your intention, rather than another crypto such as USDC.
2. Read the sale preview. Its value can differ from the purchase price. After confirmation, check the euro credit.
3. Open the euro balance, sometimes called Cash. Choose Cash out / Withdraw cash. Select your verified bank account, then check the amount, currency, fees and timing. This is a bank transfer, not a withdrawal of banknotes.

Displayed balance ≠ withdrawable balance: funds may be temporarily unavailable. Check the available amount and Coinbase’s explanation.

STEP 08

Send to a wallet: a separate step

This step is optional and requires understanding the receiving wallet. An address is the public identifier used to receive crypto; it is neither an IBAN nor a password. The network is the blockchain on which the send will be recorded. Both must be checked together.

The same cryptoasset may be offered on multiple networks. The destination must support BOTH the selected asset and network. Ethereum and Base, for example, are separate networks even though their addresses may look alike. The asset name and address format are therefore not enough.

Your Coinbase account does not give you the private key to its holdings to make a send. A personal wallet may use a recovery phrase: a sequence of words that restores access. This backup stays secret; it never goes into a transfer’s address field.

1. At the destination, open Receive for the intended asset and network. Copy the address from there. A memo or tag, if required, is an additional identifier some platforms use to credit the correct customer: it does not replace the address.
2. On the Coinbase website, open Send crypto. On mobile, the documented route uses Pay. Choose the asset, amount, supported network and recipient address.
3. Compare the network, full address and any memo on both sides. Read the fee, received amount and minimums. Stop if the intended network is missing. In Europe, Coinbase also requests recipient information and may request proof of wallet control within its official flow.
4. For a first transfer you choose to make, a small test above any minimum can limit the amount exposed. It also costs fees. Wait for receipt before considering the rest.

After sending, check its status in the history and its arrival at the destination. Pending does not mean you should send again. A confirmed blockchain transfer generally cannot be cancelled; recovery after an error is not guaranteed.

OPTIONAL EXTRA DETAIL

Go deeper when you are ready.

Your reading level from the top of the page opens these sections. You can also open them individually; they are not needed to understand a deposit or simple purchase.

PRACTISE WITHOUT BUYING

Six situations. The reasoning matters.

Read the information, choose an answer, then check why it works or does not. You can read the explanations without answering. All amounts and accounts below are fictional.

When something gets stuck

For a service-wide incident, check Coinbase Status. For your account, start from the official help centre.