Coinbase Prohibited & Conditional Use Policy
Effective Date: January 31, 2022
The policies below play an important role in keeping our ecosystem safe and apply to your Coinbase Account, and use of coinbase.com, Coinbase APIs, the Coinbase mobile apps or any other Coinbase website (collectively the “Coinbase Site”). For further information, refer to our User Agreement, or if you have questions about how these requirements apply to you, please contact us at https://help.coinbase.com.
See also:
Coinbase Wallet Terms of Service
Coinbase Commerce Terms of Service
What type of activity is prohibited?
You may not use your Coinbase Account to engage in the following categories of activity:
Unlawful Activity: Activity which would violate, or assist in violation of, any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or sanctions programs administered in the countries where Coinbase conducts business, including but not limited to the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC"), or which would involve proceeds of any unlawful activity; publishing, distributing or disseminating any unlawful material or information.
Abusive Activity: Actions which impose an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on our infrastructure, or detrimentally interfere with, intercept, or expropriate any system, data, or information; transmit or upload any material to the Coinbase Site that contains viruses, trojan horses, worms, or any other harmful or deleterious programs; attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Coinbase Site, other Coinbase Accounts, computer systems or networks connected to the Coinbase Site, through password mining or any other means; use Coinbase Account information of another party to access or use the Coinbase Site, except in the case of specific merchants and/or applications which are specifically authorized by a user to access such user's Coinbase Account and information; or transfer your account access or rights to your account to a third party, unless by operation of law or with the express permission of Coinbase.
Abuse Other Users: Interfere with another individual’s or entity's access to or use of any Coinbase Services; defame, abuse, extort, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate or infringe the legal rights (such as, but not limited to, rights of privacy, publicity and intellectual property) of others; harvest or otherwise collect information from the Coinbase Site about others, including without limitation email addresses, without proper consent.
Fraud: Activity which operates to defraud Coinbase, Coinbase users, or any other person; provide any false, inaccurate, or misleading information to Coinbase.
Unlawful Gambling: Lotteries; bidding fee auctions; sports forecasting or odds making; fantasy sports leagues with cash prizes; internet gaming; contests; sweepstakes; or games of chance that are not sanctioned by a governmental body or regulatory authority.
Intellectual Property Infringement: Engage in transactions involving items that infringe or violate any copyright, trademark, right of publicity or privacy or any other proprietary right under the law, including but not limited to sales, distribution, or access to counterfeit music, movies, software, or other licensed materials without the appropriate authorization from the rights holder; use of Coinbase intellectual property, name, or logo, including use of Coinbase trade or service marks, without express consent from Coinbase or in a manner that otherwise harms Coinbase or the Coinbase brand; any action that implies an untrue endorsement by or affiliation with Coinbase.
What type of businesses are prohibited from using Coinbase Services?
In addition to the Prohibited Uses described above, the following categories of businesses, business practices, and sale items are barred from Coinbase Services ("Prohibited Businesses"). Most Prohibited Businesses categories are imposed by card network rules or the requirements of our banking providers or processors. You confirm that you will not use Coinbase Services in connection with any of the following businesses, activities, practices, or items:
Investment and Credit Services: Securities brokers; mortgage consulting or debt reduction services; credit counseling or repair; real estate opportunities; investment schemes.
Restricted Financial Services: Check cashing, bail bonds; collections agencies.
Intellectual Property or Proprietary Rights Infringement: Sales, distribution, or access to counterfeit music, movies, software, or other licensed materials without the appropriate authorization from the rights holder.
Counterfeit or Unauthorized Goods: Unauthorized sale or resale of brand name or designer products or services; sale of goods or services that are illegally imported or exported or which are stolen.
Regulated Products and Services: Marijuana dispensaries and related businesses; sale of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and e-liquid; online prescription or pharmaceutical services; age restricted goods or services; weapons and munitions; gunpowder and other explosives; fireworks and related goods; toxic, flammable, and radioactive materials; products and services with varying legal status on a state-by-state basis.
Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia: Sale of narcotics, controlled substances, and any equipment designed for making or using drugs, such as bongs, vaporizers, and hookahs.
Pseudo-Pharmaceuticals: Pharmaceuticals and other products that make health claims that have not been approved or verified by the applicable local and/or national regulatory body.
Substances designed to mimic illegal drugs: Sale of a legal substance that provides the same effect as an illegal drug (e.g., salvia, kratom).
Adult Content and Services: Pornography and other obscene materials (including literature, imagery and other media); sites offering any sexually-related services such as prostitution, escorts, pay-per view, adult live chat features.
Multi-level Marketing: Pyramid schemes, network marketing, and referral marketing programs.
Unfair, predatory or deceptive practices: Investment opportunities or other services that promise high rewards; sale or resale of a service without added benefit to the buyer; resale of government offerings without authorization or added value; sites that we determine in our sole discretion to be unfair, deceptive, or predatory towards consumers.
High risk businesses: Any businesses that we believe pose elevated financial risk, legal liability, or violate card network rules or bank policies.
The specific types of use listed above are representative, but not exhaustive. If you are uncertain as to whether or not your use of Coinbase involves a Prohibited Use or Prohibited Business, or have questions about how these requirements apply to you, please contact us at https://help.coinbase.com.
What categories of business and uses need express written consent?
For some categories of business or use, express written consent and approval from Coinbase must be obtained prior to using Coinbase Services. Consent may be requested by contacting us at https://help.coinbase.com. Coinbase may also require you to agree to additional conditions, make supplemental representations and warranties, complete enhanced on-boarding procedures, and operate subject to restrictions. These categories of businesses include:
Money Services: Money transmitters, digital currency transmitters; currency or digital currency exchanges or dealers; businesses engaged in the sale or exchange of gift cards, prepaid cards and/or the sale of in-game currency unless the business is the operator of the virtual world; businesses that act as a payment intermediary or aggregator or otherwise resell any Coinbase Services.
Charities: Acceptance of donations for nonprofit enterprises.
Games of Skill: Games which are not defined as gambling under our User Agreement or by law, but which require an entry fee and award a prize.
Religious/Spiritual Organizations: Operation of a for-profit religious or spiritual organization,