In a strategic move aimed at deepening its footprint in institutional crypto services, Coinbase has announced the acquisition of Echo, a rising crypto investment platform, in a deal valued at approximately $375 million. The transaction includes both cash and stock components, reinforcing Coinbase’s long-term commitment to digital asset infrastructure.

Echo has built a reputation for enabling crypto startups and investment DAOs to raise capital through on-chain token rounds, with features like automated investor onboarding, regulatory compliance tools, and post-raise token management. By acquiring Echo, Coinbase plans to integrate these capabilities into its Prime and Base platforms, effectively becoming a one-stop shop for launching and managing tokenized assets.

What This Means for the Crypto Market

The acquisition signals Coinbase’s growing ambition to dominate the tokenization and crypto fundraising infrastructure space. With traditional venture funding drying up and interest in real-world asset tokenization (RWA) on the rise, tools that streamline compliant token issuance are more valuable than ever.

Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, said:

“We see a future where every cap table, security, and startup fundraise lives on-chain. Echo helps bring that vision closer.”

The move is also expected to appeal to institutional clients and family offices, many of whom are seeking crypto-native ways to participate in early-stage projects without regulatory headaches.

Echo’s Team to Join Coinbase

As part of the deal, Echo’s entire team—including its engineering, product, and legal departments—will join Coinbase. Echo’s CEO will lead a new division focused on on-chain capital formation, reporting directly to Coinbase’s Institutional leadership team.

💡 This acquisition reinforces the broader industry shift toward programmable assets and self-custodied equity rails—an essential building block for Web3-native finance.