Coinbase User Research
We are constantly looking to improve our products and better understand our customers. From time to time, we reach out to Coinbase product users (and non-users!) and ask if they are willing to participate in research studies with us.
How do I participate?
If you received an invitation to participate in a particular research study, you may follow the instructions outlined in the invitation to participate.
If you're interested in getting pre-release access to Coinbase ideas still in development and would like to provide product feedback on a more regular basis, you can apply to become part of our ongoing user panel here.
How do I know this research is legitimate?
Great question! We love that you're asking.
Email communication will always come from an @mail.coinbase.com or an @coinbase.com email address. Make sure to check the email address carefully —some scammers use email domains that look similar, but are not identical. We may also set up a banner on the Coinbase website or app, or occasionally use other methods to recruit people who are not users of our products.
Coinbase will never ask you for login information such as a password or security questions, or ask you to send your own cryptocurrency to anyone. We may at times ask you for contact information so that we can communicate with you and send your compensation after the session is over. See below for more information on how we use the personal information you give us,
If you have additional concerns about a particular research invitation, please send a copy of that invitation to security@coinbase.com.
What do I have to do?
Every study is different. In some studies, we might ask your opinion on some ideas or show you a new design that we're testing. In other studies, we might ask about things you've done with our products in the past, or what you think about using our products. Topics will rarely stray far from your product usage or investment behavior.
In certain cases, you may be asked to join a video chat, follow a link to a survey or scheduling website, or view a prototype on your device. We will always use safe and Googleable tools for these purposes. Remember to hover over any links before you follow them to make sure that the link actually leads to the place it says it does.
There are no right or wrong answers to the questions in our studies. We're just interested in learning about your experiences and perspectives, and we're not testing you! If things seem confusing or broken, it's not your fault — it's our job to make things better and easier to understand. However, we do ask that you give us honest answers to our questions. We promise we're not judging you or using the information for anything other than research.
In almost all cases, you will sign an agreement prior to participating that keeps anything discussed during the session completely confidential.
Can I stay anonymous? How is my personal information stored?
The goal of our research is not to track down your identity. We're just interested in your thoughts, opinions, and experiences with Coinbase. As such, we will rarely ask any personal information, since it is not relevant to our research. We may at times ask you for contact information so that we can communicate with you and send your compensation after the session is over.
Any information collected will be used for research purposes only and will never be shared outside Coinbase. All information is stored anonymously behind a firewall and accessed only by Coinbase employees for research purposes. In almost all cases, you will sign an agreement prior to participating that keeps anything discussed during the session completely confidential.
Do I have to do anything to prepare for the study?
If any preparation is needed, the research invitation will make that clear. Otherwise, you can assume that you don't need to do anything extra to prepare for the study.
Will I get paid for participating?
One-on-one research sessions (such as video chats or phone calls) are always compensated accordingly, and we'll always tell you how much each session is paid before you sign up. Compensation is usually in the form of an Amazon gift card, which we will send over via email once the session is complete. At times, we may offer Bitcoin or waived transaction fees.
Unfortunately, we're unable to compensate for online surveys or user panel participation. However, most surveys have a question that asks if you would like to be contacted for paid follow-up study opportunities, and panelists may occasionally be alerted to paid study opportunities.
Whom can I contact for further information?
For further questions, you may reply to any research-related email communication you receive, or contact Coinbase Support by selecting Contact us below.