How to Donate Crypto from Coinbase
Coinbase is where many people first buy crypto, and it can send most of the coins we accept. This guide shows which ones, which network to choose for each, the Coinbase settings that quietly send to the wrong place, and how to get the transaction ID you need to confirm your gift.
By Global Relief Group · Last updated:
This guide is about the main Coinbase app and website, where Coinbase holds your crypto for you. Coinbase also makes a separate self-custody app, Coinbase Wallet, which works like the other wallets in our guides.
What you can donate from Coinbase
Coinbase supports most of the coins we accept, but not all of them on the network we accept them on.
| Coin | From Coinbase? | Network to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) | Yes | Bitcoin, not Lightning |
| Ethereum (ETH) | Yes | Ethereum, not Base, Arbitrum, Optimism or Polygon |
| USDC | Yes | Ethereum, not Base or any other network |
| Solana (SOL) | Yes | Solana |
| XRP | Yes | XRP Ledger; leave the destination tag empty |
| Dogecoin (DOGE) | Yes | Dogecoin |
| BNB | Only if BNB Smart Chain is offered | BNB Smart Chain; don’t send if Coinbase only offers Ethereum |
| USDT | No | Coinbase only supports USDT on Ethereum; we accept USDT on TRON only |
| TRON (TRX) | No | TRX isn’t tradable on Coinbase |
If you want to give a stablecoin from Coinbase, give USDC on Ethereum instead of USDT. Our USDC guide explains the details.
Sending in the Coinbase app
Coinbase’s help centre now describes sends through the Pay tab. If your app still shows a Send button, the steps are much the same.
- On our homepage, choose a cause and coin, enter the amount and copy our address for that coin.
- In the Coinbase app, open the Pay tab (tap Get started if it is your first time), choose the coin and enter the amount.
- For the recipient, paste our crypto address. Don’t enter an email address, phone number or username.
- Choose the network from the table above. Coinbase only asks when the coin exists on more than one network, so read this screen carefully.
- Review the details, including the network fee, then tap Pay now and complete 2-step verification if asked.
Sending on the Coinbase website
- From your dashboard, choose Send crypto.
- Select the coin and enter the amount; you can switch between a cash value and a crypto amount.
- Under To, choose the network and paste our address.
- Select Preview send, check the address, network and fee, then Send now.
Three Coinbase traps to avoid
1. Sending to an email or phone number
Coinbase lets you send to another Coinbase user by email, phone number or username. These sends stay inside Coinbase: they are instant and free, but they never touch the blockchain and produce no transaction ID. A donation to us has to go to our crypto address.
2. The wrong network
Coinbase offers ETH and USDC on several networks, including its own network, Base, and bitcoin over Lightning as well as the regular Bitcoin network. Our 0x address is valid on Ethereum and on Base, so Coinbase won’t warn you if you choose Base. Coinbase’s own help pages say it can’t recover funds sent on an incorrect network.
3. Coins still on hold
If you bought crypto with money that is still on hold, for example from a recent bank transfer, you can sell or trade it but can’t send it off Coinbase until the hold lifts. Coinbase emails you the date your crypto will be available to send, and tapping Available during a send shows how much you can send now. Holds usually end by 11:59 PM Pacific time on the date shown, and Coinbase support can’t shorten them. Coinbase says that buying with a debit card lets you send straight away.
Fees and limits
When you send crypto off Coinbase, Coinbase pays the blockchain’s network fee and charges you an amount based on its estimate of that fee. It is shown on the preview screen before you confirm. Coinbase may also cap sends temporarily in some circumstances; the cap lifts on its own.
If Coinbase asks about the recipient
In some countries, rules known as the Travel Rule mean Coinbase asks questions before sending crypto to an outside address, such as who the recipient is and whether the address is your own. If you are asked, the recipient is Global Relief Group, in the United States; the address is not your own wallet; and the wallet type is a private (self-hosted) wallet, not an exchange. If you are asked something else you can’t answer, or Coinbase won’t let the send go through, contact us before trying another route.
Finding your transaction ID
Go to your transactions, select the coin and open the send. If you see a transaction hash, copy it; otherwise select the option to view the send on a block explorer and copy the transaction hash from there. It appears once the send has been broadcast, not while it says Pending. Our guide to finding your transaction ID covers other exchanges and wallets too.
Common questions
Is Coinbase Wallet the same as Coinbase?
No. The Coinbase app is an exchange account where Coinbase holds your crypto. Coinbase Wallet is a separate app where you hold your own keys, and it was called Base app for a time. The steps on this page are for the Coinbase exchange app and website.
I already sent USDC on Base. What now?
Contact us straight away with the transaction ID. USDC sent on Base arrives at our address on a different network, so recovery may be possible but isn’t guaranteed. Next time, choose Ethereum on the network screen.
Will Coinbase show my donation in my tax records?
It will appear as a send in your Coinbase history and transaction reports. Keep your receipt from us and the transaction ID together; our US tax guide explains what records you need.