Can I Use Coinbase without a Phone Number?

What is Coinbase Exchange? It is one of the largest and most popular complex platforms for operations with cryptocurrencies, based in the United States. Besides a centralized cryptocurrency exchange, digital wallet, an NFT marketplace and a proprietary service for custodial storage of digital assets, the platform also offers users other products.

Though it is suitable for traders and investors with less and more experience, there is some difficulty that registration on the platform is not available from some countries. Moreover, among other things, a phone number for Coinbase registration is required.

Is it possible to register from a country that is not supported? Let’s learn the answer in today’s article as well exploring some distinctive features of the crypto ecosystem.

What is Coinbase? 

This is an American cryptocurrency exchange, founded in the USA in 2012. Today it ranks second after the Chinese Binance. The number of registered users exceeds 98 millions from 100 countries around the world, most of all are in the USA, Western Europe region, Australia and the CIS countries.

The platform offers a wide array of services for various kinds of investors and traders:

• For basic Coinbase account holders, it is purchasing cryptocurrencies, storing coins in decentralized wallets, and direct trading on the exchange.
• For pros, it offers additional functionality in Coinbase Pro, as well as the version for legal entities is called Coinbase Prime.
• Individual entrepreneurs have access to cryptocurrency trading on spot markets, meaning immediate transfer to a customer, NFT marketplace, lending secured by Bitcoin, as well as a debit card linked to an exchange account.

The platform supports accounts in fiat currencies including US dollar, British pound and euro.

To date, Coinbase supports over 200 crypto assets, including BTC, ETH, altcoins and NFT. In the Pro version, there are more than 250 assets available.

What other features and products does the Coinbase ecosystem contain? Let’s learn it further.

What is Coinbase, but Crypto Exchange?

In addition to Coinbase exchange functionality, the platform also allows you to use:

• Coinbase Wallet with over 500 cryptocurrencies supported. It is available as a browser extension and mobile application. As for withdrawal fees, when using credit cards, you get charged 3.99%, while the commission for transactions with bank transfers is cheaper (1.49%).
• NFT marketplace where Coinbase account owners can issue, purchase and collect digital assets in the form of NFT tokens.
• Coinbase Commerce processing service enabling online stores to receive payments using various cryptocurrencies and its conversion into fiat.
• Cryptocurrency custodial service for institutional clients called Coinbase Custody. It allows organizations to safely store their digital assets in cold storages, signature wallets, etc. The service is regulated by the New York State Department of Financial Services.
• VISA-based debit card Coinbase Card to pay for goods and services with cryptocurrencies. It is accessible via Apple Pay and Google Play since 2021.

As for the training program for newborn investors and traders, the platform offers watching training videos and earning coins for that, that you can use later.

To start investing and trading and get access to other products of the platform, first, you have to create Coinbase account, pass verification procedures and open an account.

What features of registration and verification are there on the exchange? Let’s discuss it further.

How to Create a Coinbase Account: Registration & Verification Tips

As for registration, Coinbase exchange is not available for countries that are under the US sanctions, including Iran, Cuba, Syria, Bolivia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Crimea.

Residents of permitted countries must provide the following set of documents for registration:

• Real name (pof required).
• Email address.
• Phone number for Coinbase.
• And place of residence (pof required).

Next, you will need to read and agree to the user agreement, confirm your linked email address and phone number, and then fill out your personal information.

Coinbase Account Verification

Answering the question “How to create a Coinbase account?”, it is important to say that to get access to a full-fledged Coinbase account and the entire functionality of the ecosystem, one needs to verify their identity. Since Coinbase strictly follows the KYC and AML procedures, as well as regulations by partnering countries.

At the same time, only residents of partnering countries can be verified on the platform, meaning that if your country is not included in this list, you will receive a corresponding notification. Access to verification and trading will be blocked. Moreover, if you are located in one country and provide the platform with the pof of address from another country, it is also not possible to complete verification.

To pass verification, you need to provide one of three documents to choose from: passport, driver license or photo ID.

Send a photo scan of your passport and a selfie with your passport.

It is important to note that the verification procedure on the platform is often lengthy, taking from 2 to 4 weeks; sometimes the user ends up not being verified.

2FA for Coinbase Account Holders

The exchange also offers to protect your account against unauthorized access, using two-factor authentication of three options to choose from:

• SMS codes.
• Application authenticator (Google Authenticator is the most preferable option among Coinbase users).
• Security keys.

You can also turn off this setting, however it is not recommended if you want your account to remain secure from data theft due to hacker attacks.

In a Coinbase account, you can also set up 2FA for some certain transactions such as withdrawal.

While registering, you probably will not want to provide your real phone number to the platform to avoid a barrage of annoying advertising messages. Or do you need to obtain a phone number from another country for registration? In both cases, you will be able to utilize a virtual phone number instead by obtaining it through providers like SMS-Man. This beneficial service will cost you $0.28.

Virtual Phone for a Coinbase Account

Virtual numbers are a convenient and relevant alternative to conventional cell phones, because they do not need any personal information to purchase but an email address as well as not attached to physical address, devices and SIM cards. The entire process of purchasing and getting an OTP SMS code takes place online.

So, how can you register Coinbase without a phone number using SMS-Man? Here are the steps:

1. Register an account at sms-man.com with an email address or log in via your Google+ account.
2. Deposit some funds on the balance.
3. To get a one-time number, open the ‘Receive SMS’ section. Next, select the country and the service.
4. After that, scroll down the page, copy the received number and utilize it as a phone number for Coinbase registration.
5. To request an OTP code, return to SMS-Man, click ‘Receive SMS’ next to the applied number and use the received code.