Coinbase acquired the founding team of Sensible to accelerate its on-chain consumer roadmap and advance its goal of building an 'all-in-one exchange', signaling a commitment to simplifying DeFi for users.

Executive Summary

Coinbase has acquired the founding team of Sensible, a crypto yield-earning platform, to accelerate its on-chain consumer roadmap. This acquisition, announced in an official blog post, aims to simplify decentralized finance (DeFi) for mainstream users and advance Coinbase's vision of becoming an "everything exchange".

The Event in Detail

The acquisition involves Jacob Frantz and Zachary Salmon, the two founders of Sensible. They will lead key product teams focused on Coinbase's on-chain consumer strategy. Sensible, founded in 2022 and backed by Coinbase Ventures and Dragonfly, specialized in building DeFi-powered consumer applications. Sensible will wind down operations in October, requiring users to withdraw funds by October 10.

Market Implications

This acquisition signals Coinbase's commitment to expanding its on-chain capabilities and simplifying DeFi for its vast user base. By integrating the Sensible team, Coinbase aims to streamline access to DeFi services, enabling borrowing, staking, and earning functions for users regardless of their technical expertise level. This move may lead to increased adoption of Coinbase's on-chain services and further development of DeFi consumer applications.

Expert Commentary

"The pair bring unique expertise in building DeFi-powered consumer applications and will lead key teams shaping our onchain consumer strategy," Coinbase said.

Frantz and Salmon stated they will continue their focus on making crypto something people can use, not just own. This aligns with Coinbase's vision of making its platform the best place to grow your money and manage everyday finances.

Broader Context

The Sensible deal marks Coinbase's seventh acquisition of 2025, following full acquisitions of Liquifi, Spindl, and Deribit, alongside acqui-hires of Iron Fish, Opyn, and Roam. This acquisition underscores Coinbase's strategy to build a comprehensive "everything exchange" that combines traditional crypto trading with expanded financial services, indicating a broader trend of centralized exchanges integrating DeFi capabilities to cater to a wider audience.

"At Coinbase, we believe the future of finance is onchain," the company said. "Our vision is clear: to make Coinbase an everything exchange, the gateway to a thriving onchain economy, and the best place to grow your money and manage everyday finances."