Coinbase Geographic Crypto Restrictions by Country: Where You Can and Can't Use It in 2025

If you're trying to buy Bitcoin or Ethereum on Coinbase and got blocked, you're not alone. Millions of people around the world hit a wall when they try to use Coinbase - not because their card failed, but because their country is on the list. Coinbase doesn't operate everywhere. It doesn't even come close. And the reason isn't technical. It's legal. Every restriction, every grayed-out button, every error message saying "Service not available in your region" is tied to a government rule, a sanctions list, or a regulatory fight that Coinbase can't afford to lose.

What Coinbase Actually Blocks - And Why

Coinbase offers two main products: the Coinbase App and the Coinbase Wallet. They’re not the same thing. The App lets you buy crypto with your bank account, debit card, or PayPal. The Wallet lets you hold crypto and use decentralized apps - but you can't deposit dollars, euros, or pesos into it. That’s the key difference.

The App is only available in 48 countries as of early 2025. That includes the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, Australia, Japan, and Singapore. But it’s blocked in places like Russia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Egypt, Bangladesh, and the Philippines - even though people in those countries are actively using crypto. Why? Because Coinbase follows U.S. sanctions rules set by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). If a country is on OFAC’s list, Coinbase shuts down fiat access. Full stop.

But here’s the twist: the Wallet still works in most of those same countries. You can download it, create a wallet, and send Bitcoin or Ethereum to it from another exchange. You just can’t buy it directly with your local currency. That’s why users in Pakistan or Colombia often end up using Binance P2P or local exchanges - even if they pay 8% in fees instead of Coinbase’s 0.5%.

Where You Can Use Coinbase (With Fiat)

If you’re in one of the 48 supported countries, you can deposit money and trade crypto with low fees and fast processing. Here’s how it breaks down:

• United States: Full access. ACH transfers, debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay. Daily limits up to $50,000 after full verification.
• European Union: 30 countries including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Netherlands. SEPA bank transfers work reliably. MiCA compliance means strict rules, but also legal clarity.
• United Kingdom: Full access. Bank transfers, debit cards. No major restrictions.
• Australia, Canada, Japan, Singapore: All supported. Local bank integration, debit card purchases, and crypto-to-fiat cashouts available.
• UAE: Limited access. Apple Pay deposits allowed, but bank transfers blocked. This inconsistency confuses users - and it’s not clearly explained on Coinbase’s site.

In these countries, the experience is smooth. Deposits clear in minutes or hours. Customer support responds within 10 minutes. You can stake Cardano, earn interest on stablecoins, and trade dozens of tokens without friction.

Where You Can’t Use Coinbase (And Why It Hurts)

The real pain points show up in countries that aren’t on the approved list - and many of them are developing economies with high crypto adoption.

• Pakistan: Over 200,000 daily crypto transactions happen here, mostly on Binance. Coinbase blocks the App entirely. Wallet works, but you can’t deposit rupees. Users report paying 8-10% premiums on P2P platforms just to get started.
• Philippines: 83% of crypto users here want to buy with pesos. Coinbase doesn’t allow it. Local exchanges like PDAX charge 3.5% fees. Coinbase’s 0.5% fee looks great - if you can use it.
• Nigeria and Egypt: Both added to the restricted list in early 2025. Crypto is huge here, but Coinbase says it’s legally unsafe to offer services. Many users switch to Binance or local peer-to-peer apps.
• Russia: All fiat services cut off since February 2022. Wallet still works, but you can’t deposit rubles. If you’re trying to send crypto to Russia, you’re stuck using offshore channels.
• Bangladesh: Not sanctioned by OFAC. No legal reason to block it. But Coinbase still does. Experts call this an overreach.

A user in Colombia told Trustpilot: "I uploaded my ID, proof of address - everything. Coinbase still blocked me. Binance processed my COP deposit in 10 minutes." That’s not a tech issue. That’s a business decision.

Why Coinbase Makes These Choices

Coinbase isn’t being arbitrary. It’s being cautious - and expensive.

The company is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a broker-dealer. That means it’s under constant legal scrutiny. In June 2023, the SEC sued Coinbase, accusing it of operating an unregistered exchange. That lawsuit forced Coinbase to pull back even harder in uncertain markets. If they let one user in a gray-area country make a trade and the SEC later says that crypto is a security, Coinbase could face millions in fines.

They also have to comply with MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) in Europe. That’s a new EU law that came into full effect in 2025. It requires strict licensing, reporting, and investor protections. Coinbase had to restructure its European operations, shifting users in Malta, Iceland, and Liechtenstein to a new entity - Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. - just to stay legal.

And then there’s OFAC. If Coinbase even accidentally processes a transaction involving a sanctioned entity - say, a wallet linked to a Russian terrorist group - it could lose its U.S. banking licenses. That’s why they block entire countries, not just specific wallets. It’s safer, cheaper, and easier to say "no" to 63 countries than to build a system that checks every single transaction against a constantly changing list.

What About Other Exchanges? How Do They Compare?

Coinbase isn’t the only player. Here’s how it stacks up:

Comparison of Crypto Exchange Geographic Access (2025)

Exchange	Fiat Access Countries	Global Wallet Access	Key Restriction
Coinbase	48	195+ (except OFAC)	Blocks fiat in 63+ countries, even where legal
Binance	100+	195+	Restricted in 32 countries (Canada, Netherlands, etc.)
Kraken	55	190+	Strong compliance, but fewer fiat options in emerging markets
MetaMask	0 (non-custodial)	195+	No fiat on-ramps - you need another exchange to buy crypto first

Binance has wider fiat access, especially in Asia and Africa. Kraken is more compliant but slower to expand. MetaMask works everywhere - but you can’t buy crypto with it. You need Coinbase or Binance to get in, then move it to MetaMask.

Coinbase’s advantage? Trust. In the U.S. and EU, it’s the most regulated, safest option. In emerging markets? It’s often the least useful.

How to Check If You’re Blocked - And What to Do

You can’t guess. You have to check.

1. Go to Coinbase Help Center and log into your account.

2. Try to click "Buy Crypto." If it’s grayed out or says "Not available," your country is restricted.

3. Check your country’s status on the updated FAQ page (last updated January 30, 2025).

If you’re blocked:

• Use Coinbase Wallet: Download it. You can still receive crypto from other exchanges. Just don’t expect to deposit fiat.
• Use local exchanges: In the Philippines, use PDAX. In Nigeria, use Binance P2P or Luno. In Pakistan, use Binance or Paxful.
• Don’t use a VPN: Coinbase detects IP mismatches. If you’re in the UAE but using a U.S. IP, your account could be frozen - and you could lose access to your funds. There are real cases of users losing thousands this way.
• Wait for change: India’s status is under review. Pakistan might get access if regulatory pressure grows. But don’t count on it.

The Bigger Picture: Who Gets Left Behind?

MIT’s Digital Currency Initiative found that Coinbase’s geo-blocks prevent 12.7 million unbanked people in restricted countries from accessing crypto easily. These are people who don’t have banks, but do have smartphones. Crypto could be their financial lifeline. But because Coinbase follows U.S. law, not local need, they’re shut out.

Meanwhile, in Germany, users get SEPA transfers in two hours. In the U.S., they get instant Apple Pay buys. The gap isn’t just about technology. It’s about power. The rules are written in Washington, D.C. - and they favor users in wealthy, Western nations.

Coinbase isn’t evil. It’s a public company with $6.2 billion in regulatory capital. It can’t afford to take risks. But that doesn’t make its restrictions fair. It just makes them legal.

What’s Next?

The SEC lawsuit is expected to be resolved in late 2025. If Coinbase loses, more countries could be cut. If it wins, it might expand cautiously into places like India.

For now, the message is clear: if you want to use Coinbase with fiat, you need to live in the right place. If you don’t, you’ll need to find another way - and pay more for it.