Coinbase Global 10-K 2022-12-31
Filed 2023-02-21. 23 sections, 756K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
| ☒ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | ||||
| For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 | |||||
| OR | |||||
| ☐ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 | ||||
| For the transition period from to |
Commission file number 001-40289
Coinbase Global, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 46-4707224 | |||||||||||||
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |||||||||||||
| Not Applicable(1) | Not Applicable(1) | |||||||||||||
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) |
Not Applicable**(1)**
Registrant's telephone number, including area code
Not Applicable
(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
| Class A common stock, $0.00001 par value per share | COIN | The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports); and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
| Large accelerated filer | ☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | ||||||||
| Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ☐ | ||||||||
| Emerging growth company | ☐ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7 262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
(1) We are a remote-first company. Accordingly, we do not maintain a headquarters. For purposes of compliance with applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, stockholder communications required to be sent to our principal executive offices may be directed to the email address set forth in our proxy materials and/or identified on our investor relations website.
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant on June 30, 2022, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was $7.3 billion based on the closing sales price of the registrant’s Class A common stock as reported on Nasdaq Global Select Market on that date.
As of February 14, 2023, the number of shares of the registrant's Class A common stock outstanding was 183,582,191 and the number of shares of the registrant's Class B common stock outstanding was 47,891,545.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or Proxy Statement, to be filed within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, are incorporated by reference in Part III. Except with respect to information specifically incorporated by reference in this Annual Report, the Proxy Statement shall not be deemed to be filed as part hereof.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Glossary to the Cryptoeconomy
Throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we use a number of industry terms and concepts which are defined as follows:
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Address**: An alphanumeric reference to where crypto assets can be sent or stored.
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Bitcoin**: The first peer-to-peer electronic cash system of global, decentralized, scarce, digital money as initially introduced in a white paper titled Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System by Satoshi Nakamoto.
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Block**: Synonymous with digital pages in a ledger. Blocks are added to an existing blockchain as transactions occur on the network. Miners are rewarded for “mining” a new block.
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Blockchain**: A cryptographically secure digital ledger that maintains a record of all transactions that occur on the network and follows a consensus protocol for confirming new blocks to be added to the blockchain.
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Cold storage**: The storage of private keys in any fashion that is disconnected from the internet. Common cold storage examples include offline computers, USB drives, or paper records.
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Consumers**: Individual users with an account on our platform.
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Crypto**: A broad term for any cryptography-based market, system, application, or decentralized network.
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Crypto asset or token**: Any digital asset built using blockchain technology, including cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and security tokens.
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Crypto Asset Volatility**: Represents our internal measure of crypto volatility in the market relative to prior periods. The volatility is based on intraday returns of a volume-weighted basket of all assets listed on our trading platform. These returns are used to compute the basket’s intraday volatility which is then scaled to a daily window. These daily volatility values are then averaged over the applicable time period as needed.
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Cryptocurrency**: Bitcoin and alternative coins, or “altcoins,” launched after the success of Bitcoin. This category of crypto asset is designed to work as a medium of exchange, store of value, or to power applications and excludes security tokens.
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Cryptoeconomy**: A new open financial system built upon crypto.
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Customer**: A consumer, institution, or developer on our platform.
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Dapps**: Dapps, or decentralized applications, are applications that run on a decentralized network, typically using blockchain technology.
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DeFi**: Short for Decentralized Finance. Peer-to-peer software-based network of protocols that can be used to facilitate traditional financial services like borrowing, lending, trading derivatives, insurance, and more through smart contracts.
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Developers**: Developers, creators, merchants, asset issuers, organizations and financial institutions, and other groups building decentralized protocols, applications, products, or other services for the cryptoeconomy.
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Ethereum**: A decentralized global computing platform that supports smart contract transactions and peer-to-peer applications, or “Ether,” the native crypto assets on the Ethereum network.
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Fork**: A fundamental change to the software underlying a blockchain which results in two different blockchains, the original, and the new version. In some instances, the fork results in the creation of a new token.
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Hot wallet**: A wallet that is connected to the internet, enabling it to broadcast transactions.
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Institutions**: Businesses that include hedge funds, small to large financial institutions, and corporations.
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Miner**: Individuals or entities who operate a computer or group of computers that add new transactions to blocks, and verify blocks created by other miners. Miners collect transaction fees and are rewarded with new tokens for their services.
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Mining**: The process by which new blocks are created, and thus new transactions are added to the blockchain.
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Network**: The collection of all nodes that use computing power to maintain the ledger and add new blocks to the blockchain. Most networks are decentralized, reducing the risk of a single point of failure.
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Node**: A computer or group of computers that supports the operations of a blockchain network, by validating blocks, executing smart contracts, or storing copies of the blockchain available for other nodes in the network to establish consensus.
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Non-fungible token or NFT**: A crypto asset that is unique - as opposed to “fungible” assets like Bitcoin and dollar bills.
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Protocol**: A type of algorithm or software that governs how a blockchain operates.
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Public key or private key**: Each public address has a corresponding public key and private key that are cryptographically generated. A private key allows the recipient to access any funds belonging to the address, similar to a bank account password. A public key helps validate transactions that are broadcasted to and from the address. Addresses are shortened versions of public keys, which are derived from private keys.
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Security token**: A crypto asset that is a security under the U.S. federal securities laws. This includes digital forms of traditional equity or fixed income securities, or may be assets deemed to be a security based on their characterization as an investment contract or note.
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Self-custodied Wallet**: A self-custodied wallet, also known as a non-custodial wallet, is a type of cryptocurrency wallet where the user holds the private keys, instead of a third-party.
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Smart contract**: Software that digitally facilitates or enforces a rules-based agreement or terms between transacting parties.
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Stablecoin**: Crypto assets designed to minimize price volatility. A stablecoin is designed to track the price of an underlying asset such as fiat money or an exchange-traded commodity (such as precious metals or industrial metals), while other stablecoins utilize algorithms that are designed to maintain a relative stable price of the asset. Stablecoins can be backed by fiat money, physical commodities or other crypto assets.
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Staking**: An energy efficient equivalent of mining. Stakers use pools of tokens as collateral to validate transactions and create blocks. In exchange for this service, stakers earn a reward.
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Supported crypto assets**: The crypto assets we support for trading and custody on our platform, which include crypto assets for trading and crypto assets under custody.
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USD Coin or USDC**: A stablecoin issued by Circle that is backed by dollar denominated assets held by the issuer in segregated accounts with U.S. regulated financial institutions. Coinbase and Circle co-founded the Centre Consortium which supports and administers the governance of USDC.
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Web3**: A broad category of crypto-powered technologies including self-custody wallets, decentralized apps and services, and open community engagement platforms.
For additional information regarding our key business metrics, which include Verified Users, Monthly Transacting Users, Assets on Platform, and Trading Volume as well as our use of Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, see the sections titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Key Business Metrics” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Non-GAAP Financial Measure” in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our future operating results and financial position, our business strategy and plans, market growth, and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “expect,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan,” “target,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K include, but are not limited to, statements about:
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our future financial performance, including our expectations regarding our net revenue, operating expenses, and our ability to achieve and maintain future profitability;
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our business plan and our ability to effectively manage any growth;
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anticipated trends, growth rates, and challenges in our business, the cryptoeconomy, web3, the price and market capitalization of crypto assets and in the markets in which we operate;
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market acceptance of our products and services;
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beliefs and objectives for future operations;
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our ability to maintain, expand, and further penetrate our existing customer base;
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our ability to develop new products and services and grow our business in response to changing technologies, customer demand, and competitive pressures;
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our expectations concerning relationships with third parties;
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our ability to maintain, protect, and enhance our intellectual property;
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our ability to continue to expand internationally;
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the effects of increased competition in our markets and our ability to compete effectively;
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future acquisitions of or investments in complementary companies, products, services, or technologies and our ability to successfully integrate such companies or assets;
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our ability to stay in compliance with laws and regulations that currently apply or become applicable to our business both in the United States and internationally given the highly evolving and uncertain regulatory landscape;
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general macroeconomic conditions, including interest rates, inflation, economic downturns and industry trends, projected growth, or trend analysis;
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trends in revenue;
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trends in operating expenses, including technology and development expenses, sales and marketing expenses, and general and administrative expenses, and expectations regarding these expenses as a percentage of revenue;
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our key business metrics used to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, and make strategic decisions;
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increased expenses associated with being a public company; and
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other statements regarding our future operations, financial condition, and prospects and business strategies.
We caution you that the foregoing list may not contain all of the forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including those described in the section titled “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on any forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We cannot assure you that the results, events, and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur, and actual results, events, or circumstances could differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements.
Neither we nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Moreover, the forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K relate only to events as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, restructurings, joint ventures, partnerships, or investments we may make.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Coinbase Overview
Our mission is to increase economic freedom in the world.
We build safe, trusted, easy-to-use technology and financial infrastructure products and services that enable any person or business with an internet connection to discover, transact, and engage with crypto assets and decentralized applications. Our products enable customers to access and participate in the cryptoeconomy, a new open financial system built upon crypto, in more than 100 countries and serve as a critical infrastructure layer to web3, a broad category of crypto-powered technologies including self-custody wallets, decentralized apps and services, and open community engagement platforms.
The cryptoeconomy and web3 remain in their early days. Crypto asset prices are highly volatile and cyclical. Including the current cycle, we have observed four major crypto asset price cycles since 2010. Each previous cycle has varied in duration ranging from approximately two to four years, and has increased the overall crypto market capitalization from the prior cycle. As shown below, these cycles are visible when viewing the price of Bitcoin, the first and largest crypto asset, over time through December 31, 2022 on a logarithmic scale.

Our Business
Coinbase offers a safe, trusted, easy-to-use platform that serves as a gateway to the cryptoeconomy for our three customer groups via both custodial and self-custodial solutions: consumers, institutions, and developers.
We continue to invest to grow and enhance our technology and product platform to ensure we are best positioned to serve as a one-stop shop to meet our customers’ needs as the cryptoeconomy continues to evolve and web3 develops. Throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we will refer to platform or platforms as our full suite of products and offerings.
To support our customers’ needs, our goal is to expand access to a growing breadth and depth of crypto assets and fiat payment rails to our customers and expand access to more product experiences – both proprietary and third party, largely decentralized applications (Dapps).
Our asset addition strategy is asset agnostic and we seek to add access to every asset where it is safe and legal to do so. USDC – a leading US dollar stablecoin redeemable 1:1 for US dollars – is an asset whereby we have a unique commercial arrangement and generate income through means other than our customers' engagement with our products and services. We offer rewards on USDC to our customers in order to encourage participation.
Consumers
We serve as the consumers’ primary crypto account, offering both a custodial solution with the Coinbase application and self-custodied solution with Coinbase Wallet.
Our consumers are represented in over 100 countries, with the largest concentration in the United States of roughly 40%, followed by the UK / Europe of roughly 25%.
Coinbase App
The Coinbase app provides customers a single platform to discover, trade, stake, store, spend, earn, borrow, and use their crypto assets in both our own proprietary and third party product experiences as we enable access to decentralized applications via an integrated web3 wallet.
Trading in crypto, inclusive of discovering, buying and selling crypto assets is typically the first step in a consumer’s Coinbase experience. The Coinbase app is designed to serve a wide variety of consumers, whether they are buying their first token or are advanced traders. We offer two trading experiences within the application, a simple trading experience for consumers of any experience level and an advanced trading experience for more sophisticated traders. Simple trading refers to buying and selling cryptocurrencies using the basic interface of the app, and includes value-added services such as fixed price quotes and recurring trades. Our advanced trading experience offers traders access to real-time market information through interactive charts, order books, and a live trade history on the advanced trade view, and other trading tools.
We offer two pricing options for our consumers who engage with our crypto trading products. The first option is to pay for trades as they occur with a transparent pricing schedule including a transaction fee and a spread, that get added to the transaction when consumers buy, sell, or convert crypto assets in either a fiat-to-crypto or crypto-to-crypto trade. These transaction fees are fixed as a percentage of volume for simple trading (excluding small transactions which have flat fees), and tiered as a percentage of volume for advanced trading, based on users’ trading volumes on our platform. The second option is through our subscription product, Coinbase One, in which consumers pay a monthly fee, in lieu of a transaction fee, until reaching a certain trading volume threshold. However, for simple trading, a spread still applies to a trade. We do not charge our consumers a separate fee to safely store their crypto assets on our platform.
Beyond trading, one of the most popular transactions consumers often engage with is earning a yield on their crypto assets. We enable our customers to earn yield on their crypto assets in multiple ways, including via staking rewards, DeFi yield and other methods unique to certain crypto assets. Certain blockchain protocols, such as Ethereum, rely on staking, an alternative way to validate blockchain transactions. Network participants, in this case Coinbase, can designate a certain amount of their crypto assets on the network to validate transactions and get rewarded in kind from the network. Today, staking crypto assets is a technical challenge for most consumers. Staking independently requires a participant to run their own hardware, software, and maintain close to 100% up-time. We provide a true, on-chain proof-of-stake service, which reduces the complexities of staking and allows our consumers to maintain full ownership of their crypto assets while earning staking rewards. In return, we earn a commission on all staking rewards received.
We seek to expand proprietary product experiences within the Coinbase app in which consumers can engage and transact with crypto. Today, we also offer our consumers the ability to do peer-to-peer payments, remittances, direct deposit, spend through our Coinbase Card, a Coinbase branded debit card, and the ability to pledge certain crypto assets as collateral for a USD loan. No consumer assets, fiat nor crypto are used to fund loans. All consumer loans are funded with Coinbase corporate cash.
In addition to first party products, where customers’ crypto is stored on their behalf by Coinbase, we offer two wallet products: web3 wallet and Coinbase Wallet.
Web3 Wallet
Consumers have the opportunity to access third party products via adding a “web3 wallet” within the Coinbase app. The web3 wallet enables our customers to interact with certain Dapps, including transacting on decentralized exchanges or accessing art and entertainment services. This product provides consumers with the convenience to easily access and interact with Dapps, and shares the responsibility of knowing and storing the customer’s security key between the consumer and Coinbase, making wallet recovery possible. We monetize by charging a fee to engage in certain transactions on decentralized exchanges.
Coinbase Wallet
We also offer a software product, Coinbase Wallet, to consumers in over 100 markets, which allows them to engage and transact with the full universe of Dapps and crypto use cases without the need for a centralized intermediary such as Coinbase. The Coinbase Wallet product experience has similarities to the web3 wallet with key distinctions being consumers have sole control over their private keys and seed phrase, and have access to a more expansive set of assets and use cases within web3. We monetize certain transactions conducted via Dapps such as charging a fee through fiat-to-crypto transactions, and/or a fee to engage in transactions on decentralized exchanges.
Institutions
Our strategy is to provide institutions an integrated trading and financing product platform that provides capital efficiency across spot and derivatives markets to interact with the cryptoeconomy and web3.
Today, our institutional products are custodial offerings. We expect to expand first party products and services. In addition, we seek to expand our products to provide institutions streamlined access to web3 and decentralized applications over time.
Institutional customers comprise a variety of customer types, including but not limited to market makers, asset managers and asset owners, hedge funds (including many of the world’s largest hedge funds by reported assets under management), banks, wealth platforms, registered investment advisors, payment platforms, and public and private corporations.
We serve institutions through two primary products. Coinbase Prime is a comprehensive platform to serve all institutions’ spot crypto needs on an agency basis. We also provide market infrastructure in the form of trading venues via the Coinbase Spot Market and the Coinbase Derivatives Exchange.
Coinbase Prime
Coinbase Prime offers trading, storage, transfers, staking and financing to institutions through one integrated platform. Through Coinbase Prime, institutions have access to deep pools of liquidity across the crypto marketplace and best price execution due to our ability to route trades through a network of connected trading venues, including the Coinbase Spot Market. We offer volume-based pricing and charge a transaction fee for every matched trade.
Underpinning Coinbase Prime is an institutional-grade custody platform with a highly secure cold storage solution made available both within the US and globally. We charge a separate fee based on the total assets stored in custody on our platform.
Institutions also have the opportunity to earn rewards on their crypto assets held and we offer delegated, true, on-chain, proof-of-stake services for supported crypto assets. Institutions maintain full ownership of their crypto assets while earning staking rewards. Similar to our consumers, we earn a commission on staking rewards received.
Increasingly important to institutions is the ability to have access to financing products. We offer integrated financing products and services to select institutions that meet our credit criteria to access liquidity for their hedging, trading, and working capital needs. Customers typically need to pre-fund their account and maintain fiat or crypto assets on our platform in order to participate in the 24/7/365 instant settlement crypto market. We offer trade financing whereby we advance funds and settle on behalf of credit-eligible customers, removing a key point of friction by allowing customers to instantly trade on credit and settle within a few days. We earn interest income on loans outstanding.
Going forward, we may seek to provide advanced risk management services where Coinbase acts principally to facilitate transactions. We have established policies and procedures to mitigate conflicts of interests that may arise in these types of transactions.
Markets
We provide market infrastructure in the form of trading venues to trade spot via the Coinbase Spot Market and derivatives via the Coinbase Derivatives Exchange.
We recently added our first regulated derivatives offerings, the Nano Bitcoin Futures and Nano Ethereum Futures contracts, on our Coinbase Derivatives Exchange. Coinbase is the first crypto-native platform to gain traction in regulated derivatives. Today, we offer other derivatives intermediaries the ability to trade on our derivatives exchange. Pending regulatory approval, we look forward to making these derivative products available directly to our customers. We look to expand access to crypto markets by listing more trading pairs on our Spot Market and Derivatives Exchange.
Developers
Our Developer product suite includes some of our most nascent products, including Coinbase Cloud and Coinbase Pay. Coinbase Cloud offers crypto payment or trading APIs, data access, and staking infrastructure. These tools allow companies to build crypto products faster and to simplify how they interact with blockchains. Coinbase Pay and Coinbase Commerce allow developers and merchants to more easily integrate crypto transactions into their products and businesses.
Our Competition
The cryptoeconomy remains highly fragmented, intensely competitive, and subject to increasingly global regulatory scrutiny and oversight. We face significant competition from a variety of companies around the world – ranging from crypto native companies, including decentralized exchanges, to large traditional financial services incumbents and financial technology providers.
The competitive landscape varies significantly by geography. For example, the traditional financial services and financial technology companies we compete against are largely US and European based and operate under the same evolving US regulatory landscape that we do.
For consumers, we compete with a range of companies that solely focus on the crypto market, as well as financial technology and brokerage firms. These financial technology and brokerage firms have varying business models and offer an overlapping, but often more limited, product suite and choice of crypto assets.
For USDC, we compete against a range of other stablecoins and fiat currencies around the world.
For institutions, we primarily compete in the US with other crypto-focused companies, although some traditional financial incumbents offer solutions that are more limited in scope. Our institutional business operates the Coinbase Spot Market, which competes with a variety of crypto exchanges. Our spot market also competes with decentralized exchanges which have grown in popularity in recent years.
Globally we also compete against crypto native companies, some of which operate primarily in international markets that are subject to less regulatory oversight. As a result, their product offering is different, with the ability to offer a wider range of crypto assets and product experiences such as higher leverage financing products that appeal to sophisticated traders.
Across our product portfolio, we differentiate ourselves through our cohesive ecosystem of products and services that address the distinct needs of our customers, our full-stack technology platform purpose-built for the cryptoeconomy, significant investments in regulatory compliance and licensure, advanced cryptography and security expertise, and our emphasis on accessibility, trust, and ease of use. We invest in user research, design, and experience to continuously improve the ability of our products to address our users’ needs.
Additionally, we have continued to invest in the trust foundations of our business. We have built and expanded the use of advanced cryptographic techniques such as multi-party computation (MPC), an innovative approach to securing user funds, within the business. In parallel, we remain highly engaged with global regulatory bodies and governmental agencies.
Our ability to quickly and continuously innovate to support additional blockchains, provide products and services to our customers that are native to the crypto economy, such as staking and governance, and launch additional products and services further separates us from our competition. See Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a more comprehensive description of risks related to competition.
Trusted Crypto Platform
The failure of several prominent crypto trading venues and lending platforms, such as FTX, Celsius Networks, Voyager and Three Arrows Capital, in 2022 (the “2022 Events”) has impacted and may continue to impact the broader cryptoeconomy. The full extent of these impacts may not yet be known. Impacts include, but are not limited to, the consequent and ongoing financial distress and bankruptcy of certain crypto market participants, loss of confidence in the broader cryptoeconomy, reputational harm to crypto asset platforms generally, increased negative publicity of the broader cryptoeconomy, heightened scrutiny by regulators and lawmakers and calls for increased regulation of crypto assets and crypto asset platforms. We have had no material direct impact to our business, financial condition, customers or counterparties from the 2022 Events; however, the 2022 Events did cause a change to crypto market prices, crypto market volatility and customer sentiment, and each of these drivers do indirectly impact our business and our revenue potential. We do not have any known material financial exposure to other cryptoeconomy participants that faced insolvency and liquidity issues, experienced excessive redemptions or suspended redemptions or withdrawals of crypto assets, allegedly mishandled customer funds, or experienced significant corporate compliance failures in connection with the 2022 Events.
Following the 2022 Events, one of our highest priorities is to restore confidence and interest in the cryptoeconomy and maintain and increase engagement on our platform. We believe our safe and trusted crypto platform positions us well to achieve this, particularly because we have policies and procedures and take steps to help ensure proper safeguarding of crypto assets we hold. We hold crypto assets on behalf of customers. We also hold crypto assets for our own investment and operating purposes. For example, in certain instances we may use corporate crypto assets for wallet orchestration to facilitate transfers across our hot and cold wallets. Safely securing digital forms of value presents distinct challenges relative to securing analog assets. Possession of the private key (akin to a “password”) for a crypto asset generally determines who controls such asset. Protecting private keys from unwarranted access and theft is critically important because once the private key is taken control over the crypto asset is typically lost. We have pioneered industry-leading standards for managing private cryptographic keys and use sophisticated cybersecurity technologies such as multi-party computation to safeguard a wide range of crypto assets. These investments enable us to more effectively secure and transfer crypto assets using our platform.
We place great importance on safeguarding customer crypto assets. We hold our customer assets 1:1 at all times, which means we do not lend or rehypothecate customer assets, and do not act on customer assets or engage in fractional reserve banking with respect to customer assets without customer consent. For consumer and institutional users who participate in our staking program, their staked assets remain their assets. Staking does not affect ownership of staked assets, and customers have the same custody relationship with us whether or not they stake. Also, when users stake their assets through Coinbase, the rewards they earn for helping to secure the network are directly tied to the rewards returned by on-chain network protocols and marketplaces, which Coinbase passes through minus a disclosed fee. Coinbase does not unilaterally determine what reward to pay or whether to pay a reward. Further, we appropriately ledger, properly segregate and maintain separate accounts for our corporate crypto assets and customers’ crypto assets. Additionally, with respect to Coinbase entities that provide cold storage custody services, such as Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC, crypto assets are held separately in dedicated addresses and ledgered using a proprietary combination of hardware security modules. For Coinbase entities that provide crypto trading services, such as Coinbase, Inc., crypto assets are held in an omnibus manner on the blockchain and separated using a ledger system. Additionally, as a U.S. public company, we are required to undergo annual audits and quarterly reviews, which, among other things, require that our independent registered public accounting firm reviews and audits our crypto reserves, internal controls and reconciliation processes. Moreover, our various user, custody and client agreements clarify the applicability of Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”) Article 8 to custodied crypto assets. UCC Article 8 provides that financial assets held by Coinbase are not property of Coinbase and not subject to claims of our general creditors.
We have and strive to maintain strong internal controls and risk management policies and procedures. As our business and the industry continues to grow and we expand our products and services, we will continue to update and strengthen such internal controls, policies and procedures, as well as work with our partners to do the same in order for us to remain an industry leader and a trusted platform. Additionally, we have procedures to process redemptions and withdrawals expeditiously, subject to the terms of applicable user agreements. For additional information, see Note 10. Customer Assets and Liabilities to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and Risk Factors—Our failure to safeguard and manage our and our customers’ fiat currencies and crypto assets could adversely impact our business, operating results, and financial condition and Risk Factors—Depositing and withdrawing crypto assets into and from our platform involve risks, which could result in loss of customer assets, customer disputes and other liabilities, which could adversely impact our business included in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We also have policies in place to help us govern accounting controls, including customer account initiations and reconciliations, and to help prevent improper self-dealing and other conflicts of interest between us and our customers on our crypto asset trading platforms. For example, we have a crypto asset investment policy that allows us to invest up to 10% of our quarterly net income into a diversified portfolio of crypto assets. We execute these trades away from our crypto asset trading platform to avoid any conflict of interest with our customers. Additionally, Coinbase is committed to providing a fair, transparent, and equitable experience across our suite of trading products. Crypto assets and use cases are rapidly expanding and Coinbase seeks to offer our consumers access to all assets and use cases where it is safe and legal to do so. For example, we take a number of steps to mitigate conflicts in our digital asset listing process. We have a digital asset support committee that is composed of senior leaders from our product, legal, compliance, finance, and accounting departments. The digital asset support committee reviews the relevant aspects of any asset escalated to it in connection with a listing on our trading platform in accordance with our digital asset support policies and procedures that are designed to mitigate conflicts. Only the digital asset support committee decides which of these escalated assets we can and cannot list on our platform, and it does not coordinate such decisions with anyone outside of the committee. We also have policies and procedures that require committee members to recuse themselves from asset listing decisions where a committee member may have a conflict of interest.
Further, we carefully handle and keep customer data confidential through security and encryption as well as policies, training and monitoring. Moreover, we invest heavily in compliance tools. For example, in addition to robust know-your-customer and anti-money laundering programs, we employ an industry leading third-party trade surveillance software platform that helps us monitor and detect problematic trading activities on our platform. We have also invested in a range of technologies that are designed to help identify and prevent harmful activity on our platform, including fraud or account takeovers.
Human Capital
Powering the cryptoeconomy is no small task, and requires hiring, developing and retaining the most talented individuals who are deeply passionate about our mission to increase economic freedom and who are excited to build new products and services.
We work incredibly hard in pursuit of ambitious goals. We signal who will thrive at Coinbase by being transparent about our culture through our publicly available culture document. Our culture has and will evolve but, at our core, we prioritize the following principles:
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Clear communication
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Efficient execution
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Act like an owner
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Top talent
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Championship team
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Continuous learning
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Customer focus
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Repeatable innovation
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Positive energy
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Mission first
We are a remote-first company. We believe that allowing our employees to work in the location that best suits them provides us access to a large talent pool and a sustained advantage in hiring and retaining employees in the United States and worldwide.
We offer competitive, transparent compensation and unique learning. We conduct an annual market review to ensure our compensation maintains in line with our competitive compensation philosophy. We have single, transparent pay targets for the vast majority of our roles - eliminating most compensation negotiations - and provide one-year equity grants for the vast majority of employees. We have also made meaningful investments in learning and development, including offering an annual learning stipend and in-house crypto learning curriculum.
We continuously improve our people programs and practices. We regularly monitor engagement through quarterly pulse surveys to continuously optimize our culture, employee engagement, risk management, and productivity. We invest in these surveys and associated action planning at the executive level, as we believe our people and culture are key drivers of business success.
As of December 31, 2022, we had 4,510 employees. In January 2023, we announced a reduction to our workforce by approximately 950 employees.
Corporate Philanthropy
At the core of our mission is the philosophy that all people should have access to a more fair, accessible, efficient, and transparent financial system to support economic freedom. To this end, we subscribed to Pledge 1%, committing 1% of equity, profits and employee time to charitable endeavors to expand economic freedom specifically through crypto and blockchain applications.
Government Regulation
We operate globally in a complex and rapidly evolving regulatory environment and are subject to a wide range of laws and regulations enacted by U.S. federal, state, and local and foreign governments and regulatory authorities. The breadth of laws, rules, and regulations we are subject to include financial services and banking, consumer protection, money transmission, stored value and prepaid access, electronic payments, payment services, securities, commodities, derivatives and unclaimed property, as well as bespoke digital asset and cryptocurrency laws that have been promulgated in some jurisdictions. These laws, rules, and regulations evolve frequently and may be modified, interpreted, and applied in an inconsistent manner from one jurisdiction to another, and may conflict with one another. Moreover, the complexity and evolving nature of our business and the significant uncertainty surrounding the regulation of the cryptoeconomy, require us to exercise our judgment as to whether certain laws, rules, and regulations apply to us, and it is possible that regulators may disagree with our conclusions. We are not regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. In addition, our trading platform is not an SEC-regulated national securities exchange or alternative trading system.
Globally, we are subject to increasingly strict legal and regulatory requirements relating to the detection and prevention of countering terrorist financing, anti-money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, and other illicit activity, the regulation of competition, economic and trade sanctions, privacy, cybersecurity, information security, and data protection. These descriptions are not exhaustive, and these laws, regulations and rules (and the interpretations thereof) frequently change and are increasing in number.
The laws and regulations to which we are subject, including those pertaining to digital assets and crypto assets, are rapidly evolving and increasing in scope. Therefore, we monitor these areas closely and invest significant resources in our legal, compliance, product, and engineering teams to ensure our business practices evolve to help us comply with the current laws, regulations, and legal standards to which we are subject, as well as to plan and prepare for changes in interpretations thereof, as well as additional laws, regulations and legal standards that are introduced in the future.
Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing
We are subject to various anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing laws, including the Bank Secrecy Act (the “BSA”) in the United States, and similar laws and regulations abroad. In the United States, as a money services business registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), the BSA requires us to among other things, develop, implement, and maintain a risk-based anti-money laundering program, provide an anti-money laundering-related training program, report suspicious activities and transactions to FinCEN, comply with certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements, and collect and maintain information about our customers. In addition, the BSA requires us to comply with certain customer due diligence requirements as part of our anti-money laundering obligations, including developing risk-based policies, procedures, and internal controls reasonably designed to verify a customer’s identity. Many states and other countries impose similar and, in some cases, more stringent requirements related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing. We have implemented a compliance program designed to prevent our platform from being used to facilitate money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit activity in countries, or with persons or entities, included on designated lists promulgated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), and equivalent foreign authorities. Our compliance program includes policies, procedures, reporting protocols, and internal controls, and is designed to address legal and regulatory requirements as well as to assist us in managing risks associated with money laundering and terrorist financing. Anti-money laundering regulations are constantly evolving and vary from jurisdiction-to-jurisdiction. We continuously monitor our compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulations and industry standards and implement policies, procedures, and controls in light of the most current legal requirements.
Money transmission, stored value, and virtual currency business activity
In the United States, we have obtained licenses to operate as money transmitters or the equivalent in the states where such licenses or equivalent are required to conduct our business, as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In addition, we have obtained a BitLicense from the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”). As a licensed money transmitter and an entity subject to the BitLicense regulatory regime, we are subject to, among other things, the BSA, restrictions and requirements with respect to the investment of customer funds and use and safeguarding of customer funds and crypto assets, and bonding, capital requirements including our aggregate net worth, prudential compliance obligations associated with customer notice and disclosure, reporting and recordkeeping requirements applicable to the company, as well as control persons and inspection and examination by state regulatory agencies. These state licensing laws also cover matters such as regulatory approval of controlling stockholders, directors, and senior management of the licensed entity.
Outside the United States, we have obtained licenses to provide crypto-asset custody and trading from the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority. We are also registered as a crypto asset exchange service provider in Japan which provides crypto-asset and first-party payments services to Japanese customers pursuant to registration with the Kanto Local Finance Bureau of the Ministry of Finance of Japan, covering both crypto-asset and first-party payment services. In Singapore, we operate under the Payment Services Act and are supervised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (“MAS”). We are presently operating under an In-Principal Approval status subject to MAS final approval to become a Major Payments Institution. Under these licenses and registrations, we are subject to a broad range of rules and regulations including in respect of AML, safeguarding of customer assets and funds, regulatory capital requirements, fit and proper management, operational controls, corporate governance, customer disclosures, reporting and record keeping.
New York State trust company
Our subsidiary, Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC, operates as a New York State-chartered limited purpose trust company, which is subject to regulation, examination, and supervision by the NYDFS. NYDFS regulations impose various compliance requirements including, without limitation, operational limitations related to the nature of crypto assets we can hold under custody, capital requirements, BSA and anti-money laundering program requirements, affiliate transaction limitations, and notice and reporting requirements.
Electronic money and payment institution
We serve our customers through Electronic Money Institutions authorized by the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority and the Central Bank of Ireland. We comply with rules and regulations applicable to the European e-money industry, including those related to funds safeguarding, corporate governance, anti-money laundering, disclosure, reporting, and inspection. We are, or may be, subject to banking-related regulations in other countries now or in the future related to our role in the financial industry.
Economic and trade sanctions
We are required to comply with economic and trade sanctions administered by the United States, the European Union, or E.U., relevant E.U. member states, and other jurisdictions in which we operate. Economic and trade sanctions programs administered by OFAC and by certain foreign jurisdictions prohibit or restrict transactions to or from (or dealings with or involving) certain countries, regions, governments, and in certain circumstances, specified individuals and entities such as narcotics traffickers, terrorists, and terrorist organizations, as well as certain digital currency addresses.
Securities
In recent years, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and U.S. state securities regulators have stated that certain digital assets or digital asset products may be classified as securities under U.S. federal and state securities laws - however, there has not been definitive guidance on this point. A number of enforcement actions and regulatory proceedings have since been initiated against digital assets and digital asset products and their developers and proponents, as well as against trading platforms that support digital assets. Several foreign governments have also issued similar warnings cautioning that digital assets may be deemed to be securities under the laws of their jurisdictions.
We have established policies and practices to evaluate each crypto asset we consider for listing or for custody and are a founding member of the Crypto Rating Council, a member-owned and operated organization whose purpose is to assess whether any given crypto assets, or whether the development, issuance, and use of such assets, have characteristics that make them more or less likely to implicate U.S. federal securities laws. We also evaluate all other products and services prior to launch under U.S. federal and applicable international securities laws.
Broker-Dealer
Our broker-dealer business is operated by both Coinbase Capital Markets and Coinbase Securities, which are registered with the SEC as broker-dealers under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and in the states in which they conduct business. They are also members of and subject to the rules of the Financial Industry Regulation Authority (“FINRA”). All of our broker-dealer activities are subject to regulation, examination, investigation, and disciplinary action by the SEC, FINRA, and state securities regulators, as well as other governmental authorities and self-regulatory organizations with which they are registered or licensed or of which they are a member.
Commodities and derivatives
The CFTC has stated and CFTC enforcement actions have confirmed that at least some crypto assets, including Bitcoin, fall within the definition of a “commodity” under the U.S. Commodities Exchange Act of 1936 (the “CEA”). Under the CEA, the CFTC has broad enforcement authority to police market manipulation and fraud in spot commodity markets, including the spot crypto markets. We are subject to such authority with respect to improper trading on our platform. In addition, CFTC regulations and CFTC oversight and enforcement authority apply with respect to futures, swaps, other derivative products, and certain retail leveraged commodity transactions involving crypto assets, including the markets on which these products trade. Separately, security-based swaps are subject to SEC regulation and oversight. In general, we seek to ensure that crypto asset transactions on our crypto asset trading platform do not constitute futures, swaps, security-based swaps, other derivative products, or retail leveraged commodity transactions. Given our novel business model and uncertainty regarding the application of some of these laws and regulations, we may become subject to regulatory scrutiny or legal challenge with respect to our compliance with these requirements. Separately, our subsidiary, Coinbase Financial Markets, Inc. has applied for registration as a futures commission merchant (“FCM”) with the National Futures Association, and in February 2022, we acquired LMX Labs, LLC, a designated contract market (“DCM”) regulated by the CFTC, in connection with our acquisition of FairXchange, Inc. FCMs and DCMs are subject to numerous regulatory requirements, including strict capital requirements.
Prohibitions on bribery and anti-corruption
We are subject to regulations imposed by the FCPA in the United States and similar laws in other countries, such as the Bribery Act 2010 in the United Kingdom, or the Bribery Act, which generally prohibit companies and those acting on their behalf from making improper payments to foreign government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Some of these laws, such as the Bribery Act, also prohibit improper payments between private entities and persons.
Privacy and protection of user data
We are subject to a number of laws, rules, directives, and regulations relating to the collection, use, retention, security, processing, and transfer of personally identifiable information about our customers and employees in the countries where we operate. Our business relies on the processing of personal data in many jurisdictions and the movement of data across national borders. As a result, much of the personal data that we process, which may include certain financial information associated with individuals, is regulated by multiple privacy and data protection laws and, in some cases, the privacy and data protection laws of multiple jurisdictions. In many cases, these laws apply not only to third-party transactions, but also to transfers of information between or among us, our subsidiaries, and other parties with which we have commercial relationships.
Consumer protection
The Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, and other U.S. federal, state, and local and foreign regulatory agencies regulate financial products, including money transfer services related to remittance or peer-to-peer transfers. These agencies, as well as certain other governmental bodies, including state attorneys general, have broad consumer protection mandates and discretion in enforcing consumer protection laws, including matters related to unfair or deceptive, and, in the case of the CFPB, abusive, acts or practices (“UDAAPs”), and they promulgate, interpret, and enforce rules and regulations that affect our business. For example, all persons offering or providing financial services or products to consumers in the United States, directly or indirectly, can be subject to enforcement actions related to the prohibition of UDAAPs. The CFPB has enforcement authority to prevent an entity that offers or provides consumer financial services or products or a service provider in the United States from committing or engaging in UDAAPs or violating other federal consumer financial laws such as Regulation E, including the ability to engage in joint investigations with other agencies, issue subpoenas and civil investigative demands, conduct hearings and adjudication proceedings, commence a civil action, grant relief (e.g., limit activities or functions; rescission of contracts), and refer matters for criminal proceedings. Recent market disruptions have led to numerous proposals among consumer protection focused agencies including by the FTC and CFPB for changes in the regulation of the crypto industry. New laws or regulations, or changes in enforcement of existing laws or regulations could require us to change certain business practices related to consumer disclosures, marketing and operational features related to payments and remittance regulations and other laws that may impact our business.
Escheatment and unclaimed property regulations
We are subject to unclaimed property laws in the United States and in other jurisdictions where we operate. These laws require us to turn over to certain government authorities the property of others held by us that has been unclaimed for a specified period of time, including airdropped tokens and forked crypto assets. These laws may also require us to liquidate that property prior to turning it over. We hold property subject to unclaimed property laws, and we have an ongoing program designed to help us comply with these laws. However, there is significant regulatory uncertainty with how states and foreign jurisdictions treat crypto assets under unclaimed property rules.
Lending law
We originate secured consumer and commercial loans in certain states in the United States. As a result, we are subject to certain federal laws, including: the Truth-in-Lending Act and its implementation of Regulation Z, which require creditors to provide consumers with certain information regarding the terms of their loan and credit transactions; the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and its implementation of Regulation B, which prohibits creditors from discriminating on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, the fact that all or part of an applicant’s income derives from public assistance, or the fact that the applicant has exercised any right under the federal Consumer Credit Protection Act; the Fair Credit Reporting Act; and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, which imposes guidelines and limitations on the conduct of debt collectors in connection with the collection of consumer debts. Our lending activities are also subject to various state lending laws and licensure requirements with respect to lending activities within such state. These state lending laws may be enforced by state attorneys general, state financial regulators, and private litigants, among others.
We are also subject to and seek to comply with other state and federal laws and regulations applicable to consumer and commercial lending, including additional requirements relating to loan disclosure, credit discrimination, debt collection, interest rate restrictions, and UDAAPs. These laws and regulations may be enforced by state financial regulators, state attorneys general, the CFPB, and private litigants, among others. Given our novel business model and uncertainty regarding application of some of these laws and regulations, particularly laws prohibiting UDAAPs, we may become subject to regulatory scrutiny or legal challenge with respect to our compliance with these requirements.
Interchange fees
Interchange fees associated with four-party payments systems are being reviewed or challenged in various jurisdictions. For example, in the European Union, the Multilateral Interchange Fee Regulation caps interchange fees for credit and debit card payments and provides for business rules to be complied with by any company dealing with card transactions, including us. As a result, the fees that we collect in certain jurisdictions may become the subject of regulatory challenge.
Legal requirements for prepaid cards
Prepaid card programs are subject to various federal and state laws and regulations, including consumer financial protection regulations such as the CFPB's Regulation E, which imposes requirements on issuers of prepaid cards. The laws and regulations impose compliance obligations and costs on our business, and failure to comply could result in litigation, enforcement actions, and penalties.
Card association and payment network rules
In addition to the federal and state laws and regulations governing prepaid cards, we, as well as the bank that issues our Coinbase Card, are subject to and required to comply with card association and payment network rules and guidelines which apply to prepaid cards. The card association and payment network rules govern a variety of areas, including how consumers and merchants may use their cards and data security, and may be changed periodically. Noncompliance with these rules could result in fines or penalties levied by the card association or payment network for certain acts or omissions, or the termination of our ability to offer prepaid cards.
Association and network rules
The bylaws and agreements between clearing house participants and bankcard companies impose specific responsibilities and liabilities for issuers of debit cards. As the issuer of the Coinbase Card, we are required to comply with the appropriate National Automated Clearing House Association, or NACHA, bylaws, operating rules, and agreements, as well as card network rules and guidelines. Additional new products and services that we offer may also impose additional obligations on us to comply with NACHA and card network obligations related to preventing fraud, money laundering, and IT security breaches.
Intellectual Property
The protection of our technology and intellectual property is an important aspect of our business. We rely upon a variety of protections, including combination of patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights, confidentiality procedures, and contractual commitments. We co-founded the Crypto Open Patent Alliance, and pledged to only use our crypto technology patents defensively. We may also in the future agree to license our patents to third parties as part of various patent pools and open patent projects.
Corporate Information
We were initially incorporated in May 2012 as Coinbase, Inc., a Delaware corporation. In January 2014, Coinbase Global, Inc. was incorporated as a Delaware corporation to act as the holding company of Coinbase, Inc. and our other subsidiaries. In April 2014, we completed a corporate reorganization whereby Coinbase, Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coinbase Global, Inc. Coinbase Global, Inc.’s principal assets are the equity interests of Coinbase, Inc. In addition to Coinbase, Inc., Coinbase Global, Inc. is the parent company of a number of other operating subsidiaries.
Coinbase, the Coinbase logo, and other registered or common law trade names, trademarks, or service marks of Coinbase included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are the property of Coinbase. Other trademarks, service marks, or trade names included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are the property of their respective owners.
We are a remote-first company, meaning the majority of our employees work remotely. Due to this, we do not have a principal executive office.
Available Information
We file our annual, periodic and current reports, and other required information, electronically with the SEC and this information is available at www.sec.gov. We also make available on our website at www.coinbase.com, free of charge, copies of these reports and other information as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.
We use our website, blog, press releases, public conference calls, public webcasts, our Twitter feed (@coinbase), Facebook page, LinkedIn page, YouTube channel, and Brian Armstrong’s Twitter feed (@brian_armstrong) as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. The information disclosed by the foregoing channels could be deemed to be material information. As such, we encourage investors, the media, and others to follow the channels listed above and to review the information disclosed through such channels. The contents of the websites referred to above are not incorporated into this filing.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and related notes. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of or that we deem immaterial may also become important factors that adversely affect our business. If any of the following risks occur, our business, operating results, financial condition, and future prospects could be materially and adversely affected. Many risks affect more than one category, and the risks are not in order of significance or probability of occurrence because they have been grouped by categories. In that event, the market price of our Class A common stock could decline, and you could lose part or all of your investment.
Risk Factors Summary
Consistent with the foregoing, our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those risks discussed at length below. These risks include, among others, the following, which we consider our most material risks:
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Our operating results have and will significantly fluctuate, including due to the highly volatile nature of crypto;
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Our total revenue is substantially dependent on the prices of crypto assets and volume of transactions conducted on our platform. If such price or volume declines, our business, operating results, and financial condition would be adversely affected;
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Our net revenue may be concentrated in a limited number of areas. Within transaction revenue and subscription and services revenue, a meaningful concentration is from transactions in Bitcoin and Ethereum and interest income in connection with USDC, respectively. If revenue from these areas declines and is not replaced by new demand for crypto assets or other products and services, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected;
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We have in the past, and may in the future, enter into partnerships, collaborations, joint ventures, or strategic alliances with third parties. If we are unsuccessful in establishing or maintaining strategic relationships with these third parties or if these third parties fail to deliver certain operational services, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected;
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Interest rate fluctuations could negatively impact us;
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The future development and growth of crypto is subject to a variety of factors that are difficult to predict and evaluate. If crypto does not grow as we expect, our business, operating results, and financial condition could be adversely affected;
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Cyberattacks and security breaches of our platform, or those impacting our customers or third parties, could adversely impact our brand and reputation and our business, operating results, and financial condition;
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We are subject to an extensive, highly-evolving and uncertain regulatory landscape and any adverse changes to, or our failure to comply with, any laws and regulations could adversely affect our brand, reputation, business, operating results, and financial condition;
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We operate in a highly competitive industry and we compete against unregulated or less regulated companies and companies with greater financial and other resources, and our business, operating results, and financial condition may be adversely affected if we are unable to respond to our competitors effectively;
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We compete against a growing number of decentralized and noncustodial platforms and our business may be adversely affected if we fail to compete effectively against them;
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As we continue to expand and localize our international activities, our obligations to comply with the laws, rules, regulations, and policies of a variety of jurisdictions will increase and we may be subject to inquiries, investigations, and enforcement actions by U.S. and non-U.S. regulators and governmental authorities, including those related to sanctions, export control, and anti-money laundering;
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We are, and may continue to be, subject to material litigation, including individual and class action lawsuits, as well as investigations and enforcement actions by regulators and governmental authorities. These matters are often expensive and time consuming, and, if resolved adversely, could harm our business, financial condition, and operating results;
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If we cannot keep pace with rapid industry changes to provide new and innovative products and services, the use of our products and services, and consequently our net revenue, could decline, which could adversely impact our business, operating results, and financial condition;
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A particular crypto asset’s status as a “security” in any relevant jurisdiction is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and if we are unable to properly characterize a crypto asset, we may be subject to regulatory scrutiny, inquiries, investigations, fines, and other penalties, which may adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition;
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We currently rely on third-party service providers for certain aspects of our operations, and any interruptions in services provided by these third parties may impair our ability to support our customers;
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Loss of a critical banking or insurance relationship could adversely impact our business, operating results, and financial condition;
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Any significant disruption in our products and services, in our information technology systems, or in any of the blockchain networks we support, could result in a loss of customers or funds and adversely impact our brand and reputation and our business, operating results, and financial condition;
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Our failure to safeguard and manage our and our customers’ fiat currencies and crypto assets could adversely impact our business, operating results, and financial condition; and
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The theft, loss, or destruction of private keys required to access any crypto assets held in custody for our own account or for our customers may be irreversible. If we are unable to access our private keys or if we experience a hack or other data loss relating to our ability to access any crypto assets, it could cause regulatory scrutiny, reputational harm, and other losses.
Risk Factors
The Most Material Risks Related to Our Business and Financial Position
Our operating results have and will significantly fluctuate, including due to the highly volatile nature of crypto.
Our operating results are dependent on crypto assets and the broader cryptoeconomy. Due to the highly volatile nature of the cryptoeconomy and the prices of crypto assets, which have experienced and continue to experience significant volatility, our operating results have, and will continue to, fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter in accordance with market sentiments and movements in the broader cryptoeconomy. Our operating results will continue to fluctuate significantly as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are unpredictable and in certain instances are outside of our control, including:
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our dependence on offerings that are dependent on crypto asset trading activity, including trading volume and the prevailing trading prices for crypto assets, whose trading prices and volume can be highly volatile;
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our ability to attract, maintain, and grow our customer base and engage our customers;
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changes in the legislative or regulatory environment, or actions by U.S. or foreign governments or regulators, including fines, orders, or consent decrees;
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regulatory changes that impact our ability to offer certain products or services;
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our ability to continue to diversify and grow our subscription and services revenue;
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our mix of
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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not applicable.
Item 2. Properties
We are a remote-first company, meaning that for the vast majority of roles, our employees have the option to work remotely. As a result of this strategy, we do not maintain a corporate headquarters, but do maintain physical offices in major cities around the world for purposes of collaboration and team building. We currently lease facilities in various locations in the United States and other countries around the world.
We believe that our facilities are adequate to meet our needs for the immediate future, and that, should we need additional physical office space, suitable additional space will be available in the future.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
For a description of material legal proceedings in which we are involved, see Note 21. Commitments and Contingencies, in the Notes to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.
We are not presently a party to any other legal or regulatory proceedings that in the opinion of our management, if determined adversely to us, would individually or taken together have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition, or cash flows. However, we are subject to regulatory oversight by numerous state, federal, and foreign regulators and we are and we may become subject to various legal proceedings, inquiries, investigations, and demand letters that arise in the course of our business. For example, we have received investigative subpoenas and other inquiries from various state attorneys general for documents and information pertaining to our business practices and policies, customer complaints, asset launches, certain ongoing litigation, and certain transfers of crypto assets. In addition, we have received investigative subpoenas from the SEC and similar subpoenas and demand letters from various state regulators for documents and information about certain of our customer programs, operations, and intended future products, including our staking, stablecoin and yield-generating products. Also for example, in January 2021, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing issued an investigative subpoena for documents and information related to certain of our business practices and policies, and the matter is ongoing. We intend to cooperate fully with such investigations. These examples are not exhaustive.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Market Information for Common Stock
Our Class A common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “COIN” on April 14, 2021. Prior to that date, there was no public trading market for our Class A common stock.
Our Class B common stock is not listed or traded on any stock exchange.
Holders of Record
As of the close of business on February 14, 2023, there were 303 registered holders of record of our Class A common stock and 11 registered holders of record of our Class B common stock. Since many of our shares of Class A common stock are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of stockholders, we are unable to estimate the total number of stockholders represented by these record holders.
Dividend Policy
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We are not obligated to pay any dividends on the Class A common stock or Class B common stock and we currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings for use in the operation of our business and do not anticipate paying any dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future. Any future determination to declare dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, general business conditions, and other factors that our board of directors may deem relevant.
Stock Performance Graph
The following performance graph shall not be deemed “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liabilities under that Section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any of our filings under the Exchange Act or Securities Act.
The graph below compares the cumulative total return to stockholders of our Class A common stock between April 14, 2021 (the date our Class A common stock commenced trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market) and December 31, 2022 to the Nasdaq Composite Index, the Nasdaq U.S. Benchmark Financial Services Index and the S&P North American Technology Index over the same period. This graph assumes the investment of $100 in our Class A common stock at the closing sale price of $328.28 per share on April 14, 2021, and the Nasdaq Composite Index, the Nasdaq U.S. Benchmark Financial Services Index, and the S&P North American Technology Index and assumes the reinvestment of dividends, if any.
The comparisons shown in the graph below are based upon historical data and should not be considered an indication of potential future stock price performance.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
None.
Item 6. [Reserved]
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Th**e following discussion and analysis contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, as well as assumptions that, if they never materialize or prove incorrect, could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those discussed in the section titled Risk Factors in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K*. Unless otherwise expressly stated or the context otherwise requires, references to “we,” “our,” “us,” “the Company,” and “Coinbase” refer to Coinbase Global, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.*
Discussions of year-to-year comparisons between 2021 and 2020 are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and can be found in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II - Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2022.
Executive Overview
This executive overview of Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations highlights selected information and does not contain all of the information that is important to readers of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2022 was a challenging year for crypto markets and our transaction revenues. As macroeconomic indicators like inflation remained high and interest rates rose throughout the year, crypto market capitalization declined along with broader equity markets. These weakening market conditions became exacerbated by two idiosyncratic events. The first was the depegging of $LUNA in the second quarter of 2022, which contributed to an approximately 60% crypto market capitalization decline in that quarter and exposed poor risk management practices in crypto, and ultimately helped drive the credit related bankruptcies of Three Arrows Capital, Voyager, and Celsius. The second event was the collapse of FTX in the fourth quarter of 2022, which was the result of fraud, and helped drive additional credit related bankruptcies.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, our total net revenue was $3.1 billion, including $2.4 billion in transaction revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2021, we generated $7.4 billion of total net revenue, including $6.8 billion in transaction revenue.
Subscription and services revenue was $792.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and $517.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2021.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, our net loss was $2.6 billion, and Adjusted EBITDA loss was $371.4 million. For the year ended December 31, 2021, our net income was $3.6 billion and Adjusted EBITDA was $4.1 billion.
Crypto remains volatile and we have limited ability to forecast our transaction revenues which remain correlated with crypto market capitalization and crypto asset volatility. In addition to our focus on cost reduction and efficiency, we are more rigorously assessing our product-market fit, and taking a scrappier approach to investments in new and unproven products by, for example, getting back to smaller team sizes. We are controlling what we can control and contingency planning for what we cannot. You can expect us to be nimble and adapt to the market if conditions evolve outside the range of scenarios we have currently planned for.
Key Business Metrics
In addition to the measures presented in our consolidated financial statements, we have historically used the key business metrics below to evaluate our business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting our business, and make strategic decisions:
| Year Ended December 31, | % Change | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Verified Users (in millions) | 110 | 89 | 43 | 24 | % | 107 | % | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MTUs(1) (in millions) | 8.3 | 11.2 | 2.8 | (26) | 300 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assets on Platform (in billions) | $ | 80 | $ | 278 | $ | 90 | (71) | 209 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trading Volume (in billions) | $ | 830 | $ | 1,671 | $ | 193 | (50) | 766 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net (loss) income (in millions) | $ | (2,625) | $ | 3,624 | $ | 322 | (172) | 1,025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA(2) (in millions) | $ | (371) | $ | 4,090 | $ | 527 | (109) | 676 |
(1)We previously identified an issue in the calculation of our Monthly Transacting Users metric related to the complexity in measuring users and activity in self-custodial products (notably Coinbase Wallet) that resulted in the overstatement of the MTU figures previously disclosed as of December 31, 2021. Accordingly, the MTU metric as of December 31, 2021 was revised from 11.4 million to 11.2 million to reflect our estimate of the overstatement.
(2)Please see the section titled Non-GAAP Financial Measure below for a reconciliation of net (loss) income to Adjusted EBITDA and an explanation for why we consider Adjusted EBITDA to be a helpful metric for investors.
As previewed in our prior periodic filing, following an evaluation of our key business metrics, we plan to update our key business metrics to better align with business performance and how management views the business. Accordingly, based on our evaluation of our Verified Users metric, we do not believe this metric, which is an indicator of the scale of our platform, provides meaningful information related to our business performance. Verified Users do not track user activities leading to revenue generation and, as a result, are not indicative of our overall performance, including with respect t
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Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Market risk is the risk associated with the effect of changes in market factors on the value of the assets and liabilities held on our consolidated balance sheets, including interest rates, foreign exchange rates, prices of crypto assets, or volatilities such as market volatility or product liquidity.
Interest rate risk
We had cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash and customer custodial funds, of $9.5 billion and $17.8 billion as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Our investment policy and strategy related to our cash and cash equivalents and customer custodial funds is to preserve capital and meet liquidity requirements without increasing risk. Our cash and cash equivalents primarily consist of money market funds denominated in U.S. dollars and cash deposits. We also earn interest income from a revenue agreement we hold with the issuer of USDC. Changes in interest rates would primarily impact interest income due to the relatively short-term nature of our investments. A hypothetical 100 basis points increase or decrease in interest rates would have resulted in a $191.3 million and $128.1 million increase or decrease in total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Foreign currency risk
Foreign currency transaction risk
Revenues, expenses, and financial results of our foreign subsidiaries are recorded in the functional currency of these subsidiaries. Our foreign currency exposure is primarily related to transactions denominated in Euros and British Pounds attributable to cash and cash equivalents, customer custodial funds and customer custodial cash liabilities and other intercompany transactions where the transaction currency is different from a subsidiary’s functional currency. Changes in foreign exchange rates, and in particular a weakening of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar may negatively affect our results of operations as expressed in U.S. dollars. We have experienced and will continue to experience fluctuations in our results of operations as a result of gains or losses on the settlement and the remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies that are not the functional currency. We recognized realized and unrealized foreign currency losses of $102.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to net realized and unrealized foreign currency losses of $41.0 million recognized for the year ended December 31, 2021 in other expense (income), net in the consolidated statements of operations.
In the third quarter of 2022, we entered into foreign exchange forward contracts to hedge our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk on assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the functional currency. All of our forward contracts were closed out during the fourth quarter of 2022, and as of December 31, 2022, we do not have any open contracts for foreign exchange forwards. The losses on these forward contracts were recognized in other expense (income), net in the consolidated statements of operations.
From time to time, we may enter into derivatives or other financial instruments in an attempt to hedge our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. It is difficult to predict the impact hedging activities would have on our results of operations. Additionally, the volatility of exchange rates depends on many factors that we cannot forecast with reliable accuracy. Our international operations increase our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations and, as a result, such fluctuations could have a material impact on our future results of operations and cash flows.
Foreign currency translation risk
Fluctuations in functional currencies from our net investment in international subsidiaries expose us to foreign currency translation risk, where changes in foreign currency exchange rates may adversely affect our results of operations upon translation into U.S. dollars. We recognized losses on translation adjustments, net of tax, of $35.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to losses on translation adjustments, net of tax, of $9.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, in the consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income.
Market volatility and other risks associated with derivatives
We have exposure to derivatives and related hedges measured at fair value. Market risk on derivatives is the exposure created by potential fluctuations in market prices and other factors and is a function of the type of derivative product, the volume of transactions, the tenor and terms of the agreement and the underlying volatility.
As of December 31, 2022, we had embedded derivative assets of $2.3 million and embedded derivative liabilities of $2.3 million as a result of entering into transactions to borrow crypto assets, which are recorded on the consolidated balance sheets. We also had an embedded derivative asset of $1.3 million, as well as an embedded derivative liability of $5.8 million for other payables denominated in crypto assets, and an embedded derivative asset of $0.3 million and an embedded derivative liability of $9.1 million for accounts and loans receivables that are denominated in crypto assets. These embedded derivative assets and liabilities are recorded on the consolidated balance sheets in accrued expenses and other current liabilities and accounts and loans receivable, net of allowance, respectively. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, a 10% increase or decrease in the fair value of the derivative positions would not have a material impact on our financial results. For more information, see Notes 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, 6. Accounts and Loans Receivable, Net of Allowance, 11. Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets, 12. Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities, and 14. Derivatives, of the Notes to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Equity investment risk
We hold strategic investments in privately held companies in the form of equity securities without readily determinable fair values in which we do not have a controlling interest or significant influence. These investments are subject to a wide variety of market and price-related risks due to the lack of readily available market data, which requires us to make significant estimates and assumptions that could substantially impact the carrying value of the investments. We perform a qualitative assessment of our portfolio of strategic equity investments on a quarterly basis for indicators of impairment. Our analysis includes a review of operating results, credit rating, asset quality and business prospects of the investees, changes in the regulatory and macroeconomic environment, and general market conditions of the geographical area or industry in which our investees operate. If indicators of impairment exist and the estimated fair value of an investment is below the carrying amount, we will write down the investment to fair value. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, our strategic equity investments in privately held companies were $326.7 million and $364.0 million, respectively. We are required to record all adjustments to the fair value of our investments through our consolidated statements of operations under other expense (income), net. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we recognized impairment expense of $101.4 million related to our strategic investments in privately held companies. We anticipate volatility to our net income (loss) in future periods due to changes in the fair values associated with these investments and changes in observable prices and similar transactions that could impact our fair value assessments. Based on future market conditions, these changes could be material to our financial results. For more information, see Note 11. Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets of the Notes to the consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Market price risk of crypto assets
We generate substantially all of our total revenue from transaction fees on our platform in connection with the purchase, sale, and trading of crypto assets by our customers. Transaction revenue is based on transaction fees that are either a flat fee or a percentage of the value of each transaction and may vary depending on payment type and the value of the transaction. We also generate total revenue from our subscription products and services and, while revenue from these products and services have not been significant to date, most of this revenue will also fluctuate based on the price of crypto assets. Accordingly, crypto asset price risk could adversely affect our operating results. In particular, our future profitability may depend upon the market price of Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as other crypto assets. Crypto asset prices, along with our operating results, have fluctuated significantly from quarter to quarter. There is no assurance that crypto asset prices will reflect historical trends. A decline in the market price of Bitcoin, Ethereum and other crypto assets has had and could in the future have an adverse effect on our earnings, the carrying value of our crypto assets, and our future cash flows. This may also affect our liquidity and our ability to meet our ongoing obligations.
We record impairment charges on our crypto assets held when crypto asset prices decrease below the carrying value of these crypto assets. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, a 10% decrease in crypto asset prices would not have a material impact on our impairment charges. For more information, see Note 9. Goodwill, Intangible Assets, Net, and Crypto Assets Held of the Notes to our consolidated financial statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Coinbase Global, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Coinbase Global, Inc. (the "Company") as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the related consolidated statements of Operations, Comprehensive Income, Changes in Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity, and Cash Flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 21, 2023, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Customer Crypto Assets, Crypto Assets Held and USDC - Crypto Assets in Cold Storage — Refer to Notes 2, 9, and 10 to the financial statements
Critical Audit Matter Description
Crypto assets are generally accessible only by the possessor of the unique private key relating to the digital wallet in which the crypto assets are held. Accordingly, private keys must be safeguarded and secured in order to prevent an unauthorized party from accessing the crypto assets within a digital wallet. The Company primarily holds crypto assets for its own use, and on behalf of customers, in wallets within its cold storage environment. The loss, theft, or otherwise compromise of access to the private keys required to access the crypto assets in cold storage could adversely affect the Company’s ability to access the crypto assets within its environment. This could result in loss of corporate crypto assets held or loss of crypto assets safeguarded on behalf of customers.
We identified crypto assets in cold storage as a critical audit matter due to the nature and extent of audit effort required to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to address the risks of material misstatement related to the existence and rights & obligations of crypto assets in cold storage. The nature and extent of audit effort required to address the matter includes significant involvement of more experienced engagement team members and discussions and consultations with subject matter experts related to the matter.
How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit
Our audit procedures related to crypto assets in cold storage included the following, among others:
-
We consulted with subject matter experts regarding our planned audit response to address risks of material misstatement of crypto assets in cold storage.
-
We tested the effectiveness of controls within the Company’s private key management process including controls related to physical access, key generation, and segregation of duties across the processes.
-
We tested the effectiveness of management’s reconciliation control of internal books and records to external blockchains.
-
We tested the effectiveness of management’s control to segregate corporate crypto asset balances from customer crypto asset balances.
-
We tested the effectiveness of controls within the processes of customer crypto asset deposits and customer crypto asset withdrawals.
-
We obtained evidence to evaluate crypto asset balances for appropriate segregation between corporate crypto assets and customer crypto assets.
-
We utilized our proprietary audit tool to independently obtain evidence from public blockchains to test the existence of crypto asset balances.
-
We obtained evidence that management has control of the private keys required to access crypto assets in cold storage through a combination of decoding cryptographic messages signed using selected p
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Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our management, with the participation and supervision of our Chief Executive Officer (our principal executive officer) and our Chief Financial Officer (our principal financial officer), has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of December 31, 2022. Based on such evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that as of December 31, 2022, our disclosure controls and procedures were, in design and operation, effective at a reasonable assurance level.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15(d)-15(f) under the Exchange Act) to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Our management, under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, our management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2022. The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 has been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report, which is included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Changes in Internal Controls Over Financial Reporting
There were no changes to our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the most recently completed fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Inherent Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls
The effectiveness of any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, is subject to inherent limitations, including the exercise of judgment in designing, implementing, operating, and evaluating the controls and procedures, and the inability to eliminate misconduct completely. Accordingly, in designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any system of internal control over financial reporting, including ours, no matter how well designed and operated, can only provide reasonable, not absolute assurance of achieving the desired control objectives. In addition, the design of disclosure controls and procedures must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and that management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the benefits of possible controls and procedures relative to their costs. Moreover, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. We intend to continue to monitor and upgrade our internal controls as necessary or appropriate for our business but cannot assure you that such improvements will be sufficient to provide us with effective internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. Other Information
None.
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
Not applicable.
PART III I
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement for our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after December 31, 2022.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement for our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after December 31, 2022.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement for our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after December 31, 2022.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement for our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after December 31, 2022.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement for our 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed with the SEC no later than 120 days after December 31, 2022.
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
**1.**Financial Statements
The following financial statements are included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive (Loss) Income
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Convertible Preferred Stock and Stockholders’ Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
**2.**Financial Statement Schedules
All schedules have been omitted because the required information is included in the consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto, or because it is not required.
**3.**Exhibits
The exhibits listed below are filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or are incorporated herein by reference, in each case as indicated below.
| Incorporated by Reference | Filed or Furnished Herewith | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exhibit Number | Description | Form | File No. | Exhibit | Filing Date | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3.1 | Restated Certificate of Incorporation | S-8 | 333-254967 | 4.1 | 4/1/2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3.2 | Amended and Restated Bylaws | 8-K | 001-40289 | 3.1 | 2/1/2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.1 | Form of the Registrant’s Class A common stock certificate | S-1 | 333-253482 | 4.1 | 2/25/2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.2 | Amended and Restated Investors’ Rights Agreement by and between the Registrant and certain securityholders dated March 15, 2021 | S-1 | 333-253482 | 4.2 | 3/17/2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.3 | Indenture, dated as of May 21, 2021, between Coinbase Global, Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee | 8-K | 001-40289 | 4.1 | 5/21/2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.4 | Form of 0.50% Senior Notes due 2026 (included in Exhibit 4.3) | 8-K | 001-40289 | 4.2 | 5/21/2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.5 | Indenture, dated as of September 17, 2021, among Coinbase Global, Inc., Coinbase, Inc. and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee | 8-K | 001-40289 | 4.1 | 9/17/2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4.6 | Form of 3.375% Senior Notes due 2028 (included in Exhibit 4.5) | 8-K | 001-40289 | 4.2 | 9/17/2021 |
| 101.DEF | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 101.LAB | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 101.PRE | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document | X | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page from the registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 is formatted in Inline XBRL | X |
† Indicates a management or compensatory plan or arrangement in which directors or executive officers are eligible to participate.
The certifications furnished in Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2 hereto are deemed to accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are not deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, nor shall they be deemed incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of the Exchange Act.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
None.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Annual Report on Form 10-K to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| COINBASE GLOBAL, INC. | ||||||||
| Date: February 21, 2023 | ||||||||
| By: | /s/ Brian Armstrong | |||||||
| Brian Armstrong | ||||||||
| Chief Executive Officer |
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Brian Armstrong and Alesia J. Haas, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, proxies, and agents, each with full power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact, proxies, and agents full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully for all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact, proxies, and agents, or their or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, this Annual Report on Form 10-K has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
| Name | Title | Date | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Brian Armstrong | Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Brian Armstrong | (Principal Executive Officer) | |||||||||||||
| /s/ Alesia J. Haas | Chief Financial Officer | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Alesia J. Haas | (Principal Financial Officer) | |||||||||||||
| /s/ Jennifer N. Jones | Chief Accounting Officer | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Jennifer N. Jones | (Principal Accounting Officer) | |||||||||||||
| /s/ Marc L. Andreessen | Director | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Marc L. Andreessen | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Frederick Ernest Ehrsam III | Director | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Frederick Ernest Ehrsam III | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Kathryn Haun | Director | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Kathryn Haun | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Kelly Kramer | Director | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Kelly Kramer | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Tobias Lütke | Director | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Tobias Lütke | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Gokul Rajaram | Director | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Gokul Rajaram | ||||||||||||||
| /s/ Fred Wilson | Director | February 21, 2023 | ||||||||||||
| Fred Wilson | ||||||||||||||