Business onboarding

Coinbase Institutional Onboarding Requirements for Trust

Thank you for choosing Coinbase. We're excited to welcome you to the platform! 

Coinbase is committed to maintaining comprehensive and risk-based Customer Due Diligence policies and procedures. To this aim we require certain information and documentation to be submitted for review. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this process.

For your convenience, we’ve included a list of required documentation below. Please do note that during the application process, you may be required to provide additional documentation depending on your answers to certain questions. Our analysts may also reach out for further clarification and/or documentation following their initial review.

Required Documentation for Trust Onboarding

In the first section of the application, you may need to select your preferred Coinbase Contracting entity/entities. Entity selection related to the Trading Account will drive available fiat wallet and trading pair access, or other regulatory or jurisdictional factors (see full details). Entity selection related to the Custody Account will drive key generation and storage locations, local administrative support, or other regulatory or jurisdictional factors (see full details).

Additionally, you’ll be asked to upload one of the following forms of government-issued ID:

  • Passport (both photo and signature pages)

  • Passport Card (US and EU only)

  • EU National Identity Card

  • Identity Card (Singapore)

  • Driver’s License (both front and back; non-German accounts only) 

  • US Military IDs (only if if the address on the ID matches the address on the application)

Required Documentation

Coinbase Inc, and Trust Co.

Coinbase International

Trust Agreement

Provide a copy of the Trust Agreement, specifically the pages listing the Trustee(s) and Grantor(s) of a Trust Certificate.

Required

Required (not required for Coinbase Germany)

Source of Funds Documentation (Dated within the last 3 months)

This document shows how you are initially funding your Coinbase account. This could be a Trust bank statement that is dated within the last 3 months.

Required

Required

Tax Document (W8 or W9)

Required

Required for Coinbase Singapore only

Required Documentation

Coinbase Inc. and Trust Co.

Coinbase International

Identification of Authorized Representatives

This includes individuals who have been empowered by the Trustee(s)/Settlor(s) to make decisions on behalf of the Trust.

ID Required

ID Required

Identification of the Authorized Applicant

This is a person who is authorized to complete and submit the application on behalf of the Trust.

ID Required

ID and Proof of Address Required

Identification of Trustee(s)

ID Required

ID and Proof of Address Required

Identification of Beneficiaries

ID Required

ID and Proof of Address Required

Identification of all Settlors/Grantors

An entity or individual who establishes a Trust and is also considered to be a Beneficial Owner. The Settlor can also be a Trustee and Beneficiary.

ID Required

ID and Proof of Address Required

(If Applicable) Source of Wealth Documentation for all Settlors/Grantors 

A document detailing how the Trust was initially funded. Possible documents could be a bank statement or a letter from the bank that includes the initial date of funding and the name of the Settlor.

Required

Required

(If Applicable) Identification of any Protectors or Controllers

A Protector or Controller is a person with significant managerial control who can exercise control over a Trust and also appoint its Trustees.

ID Required

ID and Proof of Address Required

Authorized Representative List (See Template in Appendix A)

A document signed by a Trustee or an Administrator that lists all Authorized Applicants, Trustees, Settlors, Beneficiaries, and Protectors/Controllers, as applicable.

Required

Required

Additional Required Documentation – Corporate Trust

The following section applies if you're onboarding a Corporate Trust.

Required Documentation

Coinbase Inc, and Trust Co.

Coinbase International

Articles of Incorporation

A legal document relating to the formation of the applying entity/Trust.

Required

Required

Source of Funds Documentation (Dated within the last 3 months)

The source of the funds used for your initial deposit. If using a bank, brokerage, or crypto statement, it must be from the last 3 months.

Required

Required

Shareholders/Members Registry/List

A record of the individuals who own the company and the details of the shares they hold. This document should include the following information: legal entity name, incorporation details for each shareholder: full name, number of shares, nominal value per share. Acceptable documents include: extracts from government registrars, Certificate of Incumbency, Articles or Constitution of the legal entity.

Required

Required

Directors Register

Please provide a record of the active directors of your entity. You should ensure that the directors register includes the following information: legal entity name, incorporation details (country/state of incorporation and registration number or similar), start date of the director and their position. Acceptable forms of documentation include: extracts from government registrars, certificate of incumbency, articles or the constitution of the entity.

Required

Required

Required Documentation

Coinbase Inc, and Trust Co.

Coinbase International

Identification of all Beneficial Owners/Shareholders of the company

ID Required

ID and Proof of Address Required

Identification of all Control Persons, including Controlling Directors

Control Persons are individuals with significant responsibility to control, manage or direct affairs of the company/entity such as a CEO, President, Head of Treasury, General Partner, or any other individual who regularly performs similar functions.

ID Required

ID and Proof of Address Required

For all other Directors: List full legal name, date of birth, country, and title

Directors are individuals who are appointed or elected to sit on a board that is responsible for managing the affairs of the company/entity, commonly referred to as "Board of Directors."  A Director may be either an "Insider Director" (an employee, officer, or major shareholder) or an "Outside Director" (a non-employee with little or no direct interest in the company/entity).

Required

Required

Additional Required Documentation – International Corporate Trust

The following section applies if you're onboarding an Interational Trust.

Required Documentation

Coinbase Inc. and Trust Co.

Coinbase International

Memorandum and/or Articles of Association

Articles of Association is a document that includes the responsibilities and/or powers of controlling parties and describes how the entity makes major decisions.

Memorandum of Association is a legal document in the formation and registration process. It generally discusses the formation of an entity.

N/A

Required

(If Applicable) Proof of Address Document (Only required if the bank statement doesn't have an entity address; must be dated within the last 3 months)

N/A

Required

Required Documentation

Coinbase Inc. and Trust Co.

Coinbase International

Post-Identification Verification for

- Applicant

- Control Persons

- Authorized Representatives

Our team will reach out for you to complete Post-Identification, an identification requirement for all German clients.

N/A

Required for Coinbase Germany only

Additional Required Documentation – Others

Please review this section to see if any of these documents apply to your business entity.

Required Documentation

Coinbase Inc. and Trust Co.

Coinbase International

Mining Operations Document

Required if the entity’s Business Type is "Crypto Miner/Mining Pool" or "Mining Hardware" and selects one of these business types in the application.

As Applicable

As Applicable

Documentation from Court or Regulatory Authority Concerning the Receivership/Monitorship (Required if the entity is in Receivership or Monitorship)

If the entity is in Receivership, please provide a copy of the court document detailing the parameters of the Receivership.

If the entity is subject to Monitorship, please provide the documentation detailing the parameters of the Monitorship.

As Applicable

As Applicable

Ownership structure

Required if the entity is owned by another entity.

A document that shows what individuals (or entities) have an ownership stake in the entity, with their ownership percentage. Note: This can take different forms, like a pie chart, org chart, or even a table with the required information.

As Applicable

As Applicable

(If Applicable) Certificate of Incumbency

Must be dated within the last 6 months. If Certificate of Incumbency is not available, please request a Certificate of Good Standing.

A Certificate of Incumbency is an official document that lists the names of its current directors or officers. It is used to identify individuals who are authorized to enter into legally binding agreements or transactions. 

A Certificate of Good Standing certifies that a company is properly registered with the state, is up to date on all state registration fees and required document filings, and is legally permitted to engage in business activities in the state. In some states, it is called the Certificate of Status or Certificate of Existence. A Certificate of Good Standing typically has an expiration date (when the registration is due to be renewed, or when periodic documents or registration fees are due).

Note: A Certificate of Incumbency/Good Standing is required for an entity operating or incorporated in the following jurisdictions: American Samoa, British Virgin Islands, Maldives, Saint Lucia, Anguilla, Cabo Verde, Marshall Islands, Saint Martin, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Mauritius, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Aruba, Cook Islands, Mongolia, Seychelles, Bahamas, Curacao, Montserrat, Sint Marteen, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Morocco, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Dutch Antillies, Namibia, Turks and Caicos, Bermuda, Grenada, Panama, US Virgin Islands, Botswana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Vanuatu

As Applicable

As Applicable

Additional Required Information - Authorized User Roles and Permissions

If you're applying for the Prime or Custody product, you will need to fill out the following information in the application:

Required Documentation

Coinbase Inc. and Trust Co.

Coinbase International

Add Authorized Users and Assign Roles

Authorized Users are individuals who will need access to the product; their assigned roles determine their level of access. View Prime roles here and Custody roles here.

Required

Required

Identification, Date of Birth, and Residential Address of Authorized Users

Required

Required

Yubikey Information

Each Authorized User needs their own Yubikey to log in. If Authorized Users request a Yubikey in the application, they need to select a Yubikey Type and enter a shipping address and phone number.

Required

Required

Video Call Approval

For security purposes, certain actions require a video call for Coinbase to process the change, and only Authorized Users who select “Yes” to “Can approve video calls” in the application can appear on the call.

Required

Required

Required to sign off on Authorized Users Updates

If users need to be added, removed, or modified, the updates must be signed off by Authorized Users who selected “Yes” to “Required to sign off on Authorized Users Updates” in the application.

Required

Required

Appendix A: Authorized Representatives List Template

Part of our responsibility to our clients is to ensure that accounts are being opened by the appropriate person. The Authorized Representatives List requires sign-off from a control person and contains the names of the people authorized to act on the behalf of the entity, as well as the individual who has authority to apply for a Coinbase account on behalf of your entity. Some of this information has already been provided, but we require a single document stating which individuals have express permission from a control person to act on behalf of the company. Download a PDF of the instructions and template here

Following are the different roles that need to be listed on the form. Please note that each person’s job title/position must be included on the form and a color copy of their government-issued photo ID must be included (if not already provided during the application process). 

  • Control Person: This person has significant responsibility to control, manage, or direct affairs of the company/entity, such as a CEO, President, Head of Treasury, General Partner, or any other individual who regularly performs similar functions. Note: This person is required to sign and date the Authorized Representatives List.

  • Authorized Applicant: This person has been authorized to open an account on behalf of the company/entity and will sign the Coinbase contract and user agreement. 

  • Authorized Representative(s): This includes individuals who have a high level of influence within the company/entity and are able to make decisions on behalf of the company/entity, such as senior management, directors, or shareholders. This individual is listed in the application and is authorized to enter into contractual agreement on behalf of the entity. 

The following are acceptable forms of government-issued photo IDs:

  • Passport (both photo and signature pages)

  • Passport Card (US and EU only)

  • EU National Identity Card

  • Identity Card (Singapore)

  • Driver’s License (both front and back; non-German accounts only) 

  • US Military IDs (only if if the address on the ID matches the address on the application)

Authorized Representatives List 

Legal Entity Name:To: Coinbase

I, ______________________________ (Insert Control Person’s Name, job title), attest to ______________________________ (Insert Authorized Applicant’s name, job title) as having the ability to sign and enter into account opening agreements on behalf of ______________________________ (Insert entity name) with Coinbase. If not already provided during the application process, please find attached a color copy of their government issued photo ID.

I,  ______________________________ (Insert Control Person’s Name, Job title), attest that the individuals listed below are Authorized Representatives of  ______________________________ (Insert entity name) and are authorized to enter into agreements on behalf of  ______________________________ (Insert entity name).  If not already provided during the application process, please find attached a color copy of their government issued photo ID.

Authorized Representatives Table

Name

Title/Position

Thank you,

_____________________________________Signature of Control Person

_____________________________________Print Name of Control Person 

_____________________________________Control Person’s Title/Role in Company

_____________________________________Date