It’s no secret that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin have been on a tear over the last year. The total market capitalization of all digital currencies has grown from $12 billion in March 2017 to over $800 billion today.
And Coinbase, one of the most popular cryptocurrency exchanges, has been at the forefront of this growth.
With over 13 million customers and trading in over 30 countries, Coinbase is one of the most popular ways to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. But is it safe to hold your cryptocurrencies on Coinbase? Let’s take a look.
On the surface, Coinbase appears to be a very safe place to store your digital currency. They are a US-based company with a clean reputation and have built up a large user base by being one of the easiest ways to get started in the cryptocurrency market.
Coinbase is also one of the most well-funded startUPS in Silicon Valley, having raised over $200 million from investors like Andreessen Horowitz and NYSE.
However, there have been some concerns about the safety of holding cryptocurrencies on Coinbase. In June 2016, there was a major hack on the DAO, a decentralized autonomous organization built on top of the Ethereum blockchain. The hack resulted in the theft of 3.
6 million Ether, worth around $60 million at the time. While Coinbase was not directly involved in the DAO hack, some users did have their Ether stored on Coinbase and were affected by the hack.
In addition, there have been several reports of people losing access to their Coinbase account or having their account frozen by Coinbase without any explanation. While this is likely due to security concerns on Coinbase’s part, it can be frustrating for users who are unable to access their account or withdraw their funds.
Overall, Coinbase is a safe and reputable way to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. However, there have been some incidents that have caused concern among users.
If you are thinking about storing your cryptocurrencies on Coinbase, be sure to do your own research and understand the risks involved before making any decisions.