How it works
Straightforward, which is the point. You open the gifting flow in the Coinbase app or on the website, choose an asset and amount, enter the recipient's email address, and send. There is no fee. The recipient receives an email and claims the gift into their Coinbase account.
Two asset tiers matter. Existing Coinbase users can receive from 100+ assets. New users can receive a smaller selection — a handful of major assets — which is a sensible guardrail against somebody's first crypto experience being an illiquid token they cannot value.
The verification barrier
This is the section that decides whether Coinbase is right for your situation, so it is worth being blunt.
Your recipient must open a Coinbase account and complete identity verification — government ID, personal details, the full process a regulated financial services company is required to run. That is not a light check, and it is a condition of accepting a present.
For somebody who has already said they want to buy crypto and has been meaning to get round to it, this is fine and arguably helpful: you have given them the push. For somebody who mentioned Bitcoin once at dinner, you have given them an errand. In my experience the second group frequently never claims the gift.
| Route | Recipient must | Time to hold the asset | Cost to you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase gifting | Open and verify an account | Hours to days | No send fee |
| Azteco voucher | Install any Lightning wallet | Under a minute | 2% |
| Binance Gift Card | Have a verified Binance account | Instant if they do | Free |
| Direct on-chain transfer | Have a wallet and give you an address | Minutes | Network fee |
Coinbase e-gift cards
Separately from crypto gifting, Coinbase launched e-gift cards in the UK, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia, letting customers spend crypto balances with various retailers.
Useful if you are already a Coinbase customer in one of those markets and want to spend a balance without moving it. Not a reason to choose Coinbase for this purpose: the brand coverage is a fraction of what a dedicated platform carries, and there is no reward programme comparable to Bitrefill's sats-back. For spending crypto on brand credit, start at the gift card hub.
The paperwork it creates
Worth flagging because the frictionless interface hides it. In the US, gifting crypto is not a taxable disposal for you, and the 2026 annual exclusion is $19,000 per recipient. But the recipient inherits your cost basis and holding period, and they will need both when they eventually sell.
Coinbase will not hand them that information. Send a short note with the gift: date you acquired the asset, what you paid, and how much you transferred. It takes a minute now and saves considerable reconstruction later. Detail in crypto gift tax rules in the US.
Pros and cons
What works well
- No fee to send a crypto gift
- Send by email address — no wallet address to obtain or mistype
- 100+ assets available to existing Coinbase users
- The most recognisable brand in crypto, which lowers the trust barrier for a nervous recipient
- e-gift cards available in the UK, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia
- Learn-and-earn campaigns give the recipient somewhere to go next
What to watch out for
- The recipient must open and verify a Coinbase account — full KYC, not a light check
- New users can only receive a limited selection of assets, not the full 100+
- Custodial by default, which self-custody advocates will not want
- Availability varies by market, and e-gift cards are limited to a handful of countries
- Creates a tax record for both parties from the outset
- Coinbase trading fees on the buy side are not the cheapest available
Use Coinbase gifting if
- The recipient already has a Coinbase account, or has said they want one.
- Brand familiarity will reduce their anxiety about receiving crypto.
- You want no send fee and no wallet address involved.
- You are in one of the six markets with e-gift cards and want to spend a balance.
Use something else if
- The recipient is only mildly curious — a Bitcoin voucher avoids the signup entirely.
- They prefer self-custody — send to their own address, or gift a hardware wallet.
- You want brand gift cards at scale — Bitrefill or Coinsbee.
- You are in a market where Coinbase does not operate or the feature is unavailable.
Coinbase gifting: FAQ
How does Coinbase crypto gifting work?
You send a crypto gift through the Coinbase app or website by entering the recipient's email address. There is no fee. Existing Coinbase users can receive from 100+ assets; new users can receive a smaller selection. The recipient claims it into a Coinbase account, which they must open and verify if they do not already have one.
Is it free?
There is no fee to send the gift itself. You will have paid Coinbase's trading fees to acquire the crypto in the first place, and those are mid-market rather than cheapest. So "free" describes the transfer, not the whole exercise.
Does the recipient need a Coinbase account?
Yes, verified. This is the main limitation and it is a real one — you are asking somebody to complete identity verification with a financial services company as a condition of receiving your present. For a committed recipient that is fine. For a mildly curious one it is often where the gift stops.
Does Coinbase sell gift cards?
Coinbase gifting or a Bitcoin voucher?
Coinbase if the recipient is willing to open an account and you want the reassurance of a household name. A Bitcoin voucher if you want them to be able to redeem it in under a minute with no signup. The voucher costs 2%; the Coinbase route costs nothing and asks much more of the recipient.
Sources and further reading
Figures on this page were checked in August 2026. Fees, country lists and promotions change without notice — always confirm on the operator's own site before you pay.
- Coinbase — give the gift of crypto — gifting mechanics, asset limits and fee position
- Coinbase — e-gift cards announcement — markets where e-gift cards launched
- IRS — Frequently asked questions on gift taxes — annual exclusion and basis rules