Coinbase Brings DeFi Trading Inside Its App

Coinbase is taking a bold step toward blending centralized convenience with decentralized market access. On August 8, the exchange announced the rollout of an in-app decentralized exchange (DEX) trading feature for a limited group of U.S. users, excluding New York.

The new feature allows instant swaps of Base network tokens, bypassing Coinbase’s traditional listing process and giving users early access to new digital assets.

Access to DeFi Without the Hassle

The integration means Coinbase users can now trade tokens from projects like Virtuals AI Agents and Reserve Protocol DTFs directly in the app, with trades routed through DeFi aggregators such as Uniswap and Aerodrome.

Instead of manually managing wallets, calculating gas fees, or searching for the best rates, Coinbase’s system automatically finds the most competitive prices across supported protocols. The exchange even covers transaction fees for certain trades, making DeFi more approachable for newcomers.

Why a Gradual Rollout?

Coinbase plans to release DEX assets in batches, balancing access with user safety. Unlike centralized exchange listings, which involve extensive vetting, decentralized tokens can appear overnight — sometimes without warning.

By rolling out gradually, Coinbase can filter out illiquid or high-risk tokens, fine-tune pricing, and integrate DEX trading into its systems without disruption.

Features Designed for Traders

The DEX feature is built to keep everything under one roof:

• Fund trades directly from Coinbase balances or USDC holdings
• Track portfolio performance in real time
• Access onchain analytics without leaving the app

This approach aims to preserve the openness of DeFi while removing common friction points for everyday traders.

What’s Next?

While the current rollout focuses on the Base network, Coinbase has hinted that Solana could be next, citing its active retail trading community and high-volume token launches.

International expansion is also in the works, with plans to extend in-app DEX trading to more regions over time.