Coinbase was founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam, headquartered in San Francisco (though later adopted a remote-first approach). It became the first major cryptocurrency company to go public in the [[United States of America (USA)]]. Key developments: - 2012: Founded in San Francisco - 2015: First regulated [[Bitcoin]] exchange in the US - 2017: First crypto unicorn - 2021: Direct listing on [[NASDAQ]] - 2023: Received various regulatory approvals globally Ownership: - Publicly traded company (NASDAQ: COIN) - Major shareholders include: * [[Vanguard Group ]] * ARK Investment Management * Institutional investors * Brian Armstrong (CEO) Key services: - Cryptocurrency exchange platform - Institutional custody services - Staking services - NFT marketplace - Institutional prime brokerage The company has evolved from a Bitcoin-only exchange to a diversified crypto financial services company, playing a significant role in mainstream crypto adoption and regulatory compliance in the US market.