How To Serve Legal Papers on Coinbase Global Inc.: A Comprehensive Guide

How to Serve Legal Papers on Coinbase Global, Inc.

Coinbase Global, Inc. is a Texas corporation. Effective December 15, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET, the company completed a state conversion and ceased to be a Delaware corporation. Process service on the parent entity now routes to CT Corporation System, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75201 under Texas law — not to any Delaware registered agent. Any PACER caption, corporate database, or opposing-counsel brief that still lists Coinbase Global as a Delaware corporation is out of date, and service based on that information is service in the wrong jurisdiction.

The reincorporation was not a merger, acquisition, or successor event. It was a one-to-one share conversion under a certificate of conversion filed in both Delaware and Texas — the same legal entity with the same EIN (46-4707224), the same SEC File No. 001-40289, and all pre-existing material contracts intact. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 25(c) successor substitution is not required. But the registered-agent regime and venue statutes that govern service on the parent changed completely on December 15, 2025, and stale information produces void process.

The parent’s reincorporation is only one of four service traps on this entity. Coinbase operates through at least seven distinct subsidiaries across Texas, Delaware, California, New York, and the United Kingdom — each with its own regulator, its own service address, and its own legal identity as the correct defendant for different claim types. Undisputed Legal verifies current corporate registration, identifies the correct entity, and executes GPS-verified service across all five jurisdictions. Call (800) 774-6922 before you file a caption that names the wrong entity or jurisdiction.

Why Coinbase Is Hard to Serve

The Parent Moved from Delaware to Texas in December 2025

Coinbase Global, Inc. was incorporated in Delaware on January 27, 2014 and remained a Delaware corporation through its 2021 NASDAQ listing. The company filed a certificate of conversion simultaneously in Delaware and Texas, effective December 15, 2025, changing its state of incorporation to Texas. The conversion was authorized by Coinbase’s board and ratified by a stockholder vote; it did not alter the company’s legal continuity, its EIN, its SEC reporting obligations, or its outstanding shares. The Texas registered office is CT Corporation System, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75201, and that is the address where registered-agent service on the parent must now be made under Texas Business Organizations Code § 5.255.

Coinbase Global has no central physical headquarters — the company operates on a remote-first model, and its registered mailing address per the Texas charter is One Madison Avenue, Suite 2400, New York, NY 10010. That address is a mailing address, not a principal place of business where personal service on an officer will consistently succeed. Registered-agent service on CT Corporation in Dallas is the reliable, statutory route for service on the parent.

Seven Operating Subsidiaries Across Four States and the United Kingdom

Coinbase, Inc. (Delaware corporation, founded May 2012) operates the Coinbase exchange platform, holds a NYDFS BitLicense (granted January 17, 2017), and is registered with FinCEN as a Money Services Business under 31 U.S.C. § 5311 et seq. (NMLS ID 1242846). Coinbase, Inc. is the correct defendant for trading-platform claims, order-routing failures, unregistered-exchange allegations, and BitLicense compliance violations. Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC is a New York limited-purpose trust company chartered by NYDFS in October 2018 under New York Banking Law — not a broker-dealer, not subject to FINRA arbitration, and not reachable through the parent’s Texas or any Delaware registered agent. Coinbase Derivatives, LLC is a Delaware limited liability company operating as a CFTC-regulated Designated Contract Market under the Commodity Exchange Act, 7 U.S.C. § 7. Coinbase Financial Markets, Inc. is a Delaware corporation registered as a FINRA broker-dealer since 2018. Coinbase Credit, Inc. (Delaware) holds the lending portfolio. Coinbase Capital Markets Corporation is a California corporation. CB Payments, Ltd is a UK private limited company regulated by the FCA for fiat currency payment processing.

Naming the parent for a trading claim does not reach Coinbase, Inc. Naming Coinbase, Inc. for a custody loss does not reach the trust company. Naming the trust company for a futures dispute does not reach Coinbase Derivatives. Each subsidiary requires separate service in its own jurisdiction — the parent’s Texas RA is jurisdictionally irrelevant to claims against Delaware or New York operating entities.

State Regulators Stayed Active After the SEC Walked Away

SEC v. Coinbase, Inc. et al., No. 1:23-cv-04738 (S.D.N.Y.) was dismissed with prejudice on February 27, 2025 pursuant to a joint stipulation filed by the SEC and Coinbase. The dismissal was a voluntary withdrawal by the SEC under the current administration’s posture toward crypto enforcement — it was not a ruling on the merits, not a finding of compliance, and not a binding adjudication of any legal question. No court decided whether Coinbase’s exchange operations constituted an unregistered national securities exchange or whether its listed tokens were securities. The dismissal forecloses only the SEC from re-filing the same action; it has no preclusive effect on private plaintiffs or state regulators.

NYDFS had already extracted a $100 million consent order from Coinbase, Inc. in January 2023 — independently of the SEC — for Bank Secrecy Act, anti-money-laundering program, and compliance failures. Coinbase remains subject to ongoing NYDFS supervision under the BitLicense framework and its money transmitter licenses across 40-plus jurisdictions. Class actions alleging securities fraud under Exchange Act § 10(b), state consumer protection claims, and multi-state coordinated enforcement actions continue on their own tracks. The federal enforcement retreat did not change the registered-agent addresses, service rules, or jurisdictional framework for any pending private action or state enforcement proceeding.

The Custody Trust Is a Bank — Not a Broker-Dealer

Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC occupies a distinct regulatory category that trips up many litigants and even some process servers. NYDFS authorized it as a limited-purpose trust company under New York Banking Law in October 2018 — a trust charter, not a money transmitter license and not a broker-dealer registration. The trust company exercises fiduciary powers over custodied digital assets, meaning it holds assets in a legal trust relationship with its institutional clients rather than merely maintaining custody accounts. New York Banking Law § 102-a governs the framework for New York limited-purpose trust companies; NYDFS is its exclusive state regulatory supervisor.

Service for claims against Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC must go to the trust company at its New York principal office or through the NYDFS supervisory channel — not to CT Corporation in Dallas, not to any Delaware registered agent, and not to Coinbase, Inc. in California or Delaware. A breach-of-fiduciary-duty claim against the trust company that is served on the Texas parent will not confer jurisdiction over the trust entity.

Our Process for Serving Coinbase

1. Current-state-of-incorporation verification. Before drafting any caption that names Coinbase Global, Inc., we verify the current Texas corporate registration through the Texas Secretary of State filing database. Any pre-December 15, 2025 corporate database entry showing Coinbase Global as a Delaware entity is stale and must not be used to address service.
2. Claim-type analysis to identify the correct operating entity. We review the complaint to match the alleged conduct to the Coinbase entity that owns the specific operation: exchange-platform and order-routing claims to Coinbase, Inc.; custody and fiduciary-duty claims to Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC; futures and derivatives claims to Coinbase Derivatives, LLC; broker-dealer claims to Coinbase Financial Markets, Inc.; lending and Earn product claims to Coinbase Credit, Inc.; UK fiat payment claims to CB Payments, Ltd.
3. Jurisdictional routing across five jurisdictions. We determine the controlling service statute for each target entity: Texas BOC § 5.255 for the parent, 8 Del. C. § 321 for Delaware subsidiaries, New York Banking Law for the trust company, Cal. Corp. Code for Coinbase Capital Markets Corporation, and Hague Convention Article 5 or Article 10 for CB Payments, Ltd in the UK.
4. Registered-agent verification before every dispatch. For Delaware subsidiaries, we confirm the current registered agent through the Delaware Division of Corporations CIS before dispatch. For the Texas parent, we confirm CT Corporation’s address at 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75201. For CB Payments, Ltd, we confirm current UK registered office through Companies House before initiating Hague routing.
5. GPS-verified service execution. Every domestic service attempt is GPS-verified with timestamped coordinates, a contemporaneous photo record, and a chain-of-custody log. New York process servers maintain DCWP licensing for NYC five-borough service where the trust company’s New York office is the target. All GPS-verified records are preserved regardless of whether service succeeds on the first attempt.
6. Affidavit of service and Hague certificate preparation. For domestic service, we prepare a notarized affidavit identifying the exact Coinbase entity, the registered agent name and address, the documents delivered, the date, and the GPS-verified service coordinates. For UK Hague service on CB Payments, Ltd, we prepare the Article 5 request package or Article 10 postal package and obtain the official Certificate of Service or postal confirmation.
7. Proof of service filing support. We deliver documentation in your court’s required format and retain GPS-verified records for any subsequent challenge to service validity, personal jurisdiction, or entity identification.

Where to Serve Legal Papers on Coinbase

Registered-agent addresses for Delaware subsidiaries must be verified through the Delaware Division of Corporations CIS portal before service. UK registered office for CB Payments, Ltd must be verified through Companies House before initiating Hague routing.

Compliance and Legal Framework

FRCP 4(h)(1)(A), 4(h)(1)(B), and 4(f)(1)

FRCP 4(h)(1)(A) permits service on a corporation or LLC by delivery to an officer, managing or general agent, or any agent authorized by appointment or law to receive process — satisfied by service on the registered agent. FRCP 4(h)(1)(B) permits service in the manner prescribed by state law where the district court sits or where service is made, enabling Texas BOC service on the parent or Delaware service on subsidiaries in Delaware-venue cases. FRCP 4(f)(1) permits service abroad consistent with the Hague Service Convention — the route for CB Payments, Ltd in the UK.

Texas BOC § 5.255 — Service on the Texas Parent

Texas Business Organizations Code § 5.255 authorizes service of process on a Texas entity through its registered agent. Coinbase Global, Inc.’s registered agent is CT Corporation System, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75201. Service at that address by a Texas-authorized process server satisfies the Texas statutory requirement and establishes personal jurisdiction in any court with subject-matter jurisdiction over the claim against the parent. Texas courts have concurrent jurisdiction over this entity for claims arising on or after December 15, 2025; Delaware courts retain jurisdiction over claims arising before the conversion date under the entity’s prior Delaware registration.

8 Del. C. § 321 — Service on Delaware Subsidiaries

Coinbase, Inc., Coinbase Derivatives, LLC, Coinbase Financial Markets, Inc., Coinbase Credit, Inc., and Coinbase Asset Management, LLC are Delaware-formed entities. Service on each runs through its respective Delaware registered agent under 8 Del. C. § 321. The registered agent address for each must be independently verified through the Delaware Division of Corporations CIS portal before service — registered agent substitutions are effective on filing date without advance notice. The parent’s December 2025 Texas reincorporation did not change the Delaware registration status of any subsidiary.

New York Banking Law § 102-a — Coinbase Custody Trust Company

New York Banking Law § 102-a authorizes NYDFS to charter limited-purpose trust companies with fiduciary powers over digital assets. Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC holds such a charter, granted October 2018. As a NYDFS-supervised banking institution, the trust company is subject to New York Banking Law examination and enforcement authority separate from the BitLicense regime that governs Coinbase, Inc. Service for claims against the trust company routes through its New York principal office, not through the Texas parent’s CT Corporation agent, and not through any Delaware registered agent. Verify the current principal office address through NYDFS before serving.

31 U.S.C. § 5311, NY Financial Services Law § 200, and 23 NYCRR Part 200

Coinbase, Inc. is registered with FinCEN as a Money Services Business under the Bank Secrecy Act, 31 U.S.C. § 5311 et seq., and holds a NYDFS BitLicense under New York Financial Services Law § 200 et seq. and implementing regulations at 23 NYCRR Part 200. The $100 million consent order NYDFS issued against Coinbase, Inc. in January 2023 for BSA/AML and compliance failures was an enforcement action under this BitLicense framework, independent of the later-dismissed SEC action.

Commodity Exchange Act § 7 — Coinbase Derivatives, LLC

Coinbase Derivatives, LLC operates as a Designated Contract Market under the Commodity Exchange Act, 7 U.S.C. § 7, and is subject to CFTC jurisdiction. DCM status means the entity lists and trades futures contracts regulated at the federal level by the CFTC — it is not a securities exchange, not FINRA-regulated, and not subject to Securities Exchange Act Section 6 registration requirements. Claims arising from Coinbase Derivatives’ futures exchange operations route to the CFTC regulatory framework; private litigation targets the entity as a Delaware LLC through its Delaware registered agent.

Hague Service Convention — UK Service of CB Payments, Ltd

The United Kingdom is a party to the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents. Unlike Switzerland, the UK does not object to Article 10(a) of the Convention, meaning postal service through international mail is a lawful method for serving UK entities when the court of origin permits it. Central Authority service under Article 5 is also available — the UK Central Authority is the Senior Master of the Foreign Process Section, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London WC2A 2LL. For formal court proceedings where service validity may be challenged, Article 5 Central Authority service provides the more defensible record.

12 U.S.C. § 94 Does Not Apply

The OCC national bank venue statute, 12 U.S.C. § 94, has no application to any Coinbase entity. Coinbase Global, Inc. is a Texas holding company. Coinbase, Inc. is a state-licensed money transmitter and BitLicense holder, not a nationally chartered bank. Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC is a New York limited-purpose trust company under state banking law — not an OCC-chartered institution. No Coinbase entity holds an OCC charter. Venue is governed by 28 U.S.C. § 1391 and, for federal securities claims, the Exchange Act’s special venue provision.

Pricing for Serving Legal Papers on Coinbase

Pricing depends on which entity is being served and in which jurisdiction service is executed.

UK Hague Convention service on CB Payments, Ltd is quoted separately based on document volume, translation requirements, and current Central Authority fees. Skip trace is $75 when registered-agent address verification is needed. All domestic service fees include GPS-verified affidavit of service and chain-of-custody documentation. Multi-entity packages — serving Coinbase Global and Coinbase, Inc. simultaneously — are available on request.

Frequently Asked Questions About Serving Coinbase

Is Coinbase still a Delaware corporation?

No. Coinbase Global, Inc. converted from a Delaware corporation to a Texas corporation effective December 15, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. ET. The conversion was authorized under a certificate of conversion filed simultaneously in Delaware and Texas and does not affect the company’s legal continuity, its EIN, its SEC reporting obligations, or its outstanding shares. As of December 15, 2025, Delaware no longer has jurisdiction over Coinbase Global, Inc. as its state of incorporation, and Delaware registered-agent service on the parent is no longer valid. Service on the parent now runs to CT Corporation System, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75201 under Texas Business Organizations Code § 5.255. Use the Texas Secretary of State business filing database to confirm current RA details before dispatching service.

Did the SEC drop its case against Coinbase?

Yes, but not because Coinbase prevailed on the merits. SEC v. Coinbase, Inc. et al., No. 1:23-cv-04738 (S.D.N.Y.) was dismissed with prejudice on February 27, 2025 pursuant to a joint stipulation of dismissal. The dismissal was voluntary — the SEC chose not to proceed under the current administration’s posture toward crypto-asset enforcement. No court ruled on whether Coinbase’s exchange operations constituted an unregistered national securities exchange, whether listed tokens are securities, or any other substantive legal question in the case. The dismissal with prejudice bars the SEC from refiling the same claims, but it has no preclusive effect on private plaintiffs pursuing Exchange Act § 10(b) claims, state securities enforcement proceedings, or NYDFS supervision. Coinbase remains subject to the January 2023 NYDFS consent order and ongoing BitLicense oversight independently of the federal action.

How is Coinbase Custody Trust Company different from Coinbase, Inc.?

Coinbase, Inc. is the exchange operating entity — a Delaware corporation that runs the Coinbase trading platform, holds the NYDFS BitLicense, and is registered as a Money Services Business with FinCEN. Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC is a New York limited-purpose trust company chartered by NYDFS in October 2018 under New York Banking Law § 102-a. The trust company exercises fiduciary powers over custodied digital assets — it holds client assets in a legal trust relationship, not merely as a custodian. This distinction matters enormously for service: the trust company is regulated as a banking institution under New York Banking Law, supervised exclusively by NYDFS, and must be served at its New York principal office. Claims for custody losses belong against the trust company; claims for trading failures belong against Coinbase, Inc.

Where do I serve Coinbase Global, Inc. now that it has reincorporated to Texas?

Serve CT Corporation System, 1999 Bryan Street, Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75201, under Texas Business Organizations Code § 5.255. Confirm the current registered agent and address through the Texas Secretary of State business filing database before dispatching a process server — registered agent addresses are subject to change. For actions filed before December 15, 2025 against Coinbase Global as a Delaware entity, consult your attorney regarding whether any amendment is required to reflect the conversion. Coinbase Global has no fixed physical headquarters — the registered mailing address per the Texas charter is One Madison Avenue, Suite 2400, New York, NY 10010, but that is a mailing address, not a service address. Attempting personal service on officers at that New York address is unreliable; CT Corporation in Dallas is the statutory service target for the parent.

Do I need Hague Convention routing to serve CB Payments, Ltd?

Yes. CB Payments, Ltd is a UK private limited company regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Service of U.S. court process on a UK entity must comply with the Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents. The UK does not object to Article 10(a) of the Convention, meaning international postal service — directly addressed to the UK entity — is a lawful service method if the court and applicable procedure permit it. For proceedings where service validity is likely to be contested, Article 5 Central Authority service through the UK’s designated authority is the more defensible route: submit the request to the Senior Master of the Foreign Process Section, Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London WC2A 2LL, with the documents and a completed USM-94 form. Verify CB Payments, Ltd’s current UK registered office through Companies House before submitting any Hague request.

Does service on Coinbase Global, Inc. reach all subsidiaries?

No. Service on the Texas parent creates jurisdiction over Coinbase Global, Inc. only. It does not extend to Coinbase, Inc., Coinbase Custody Trust Company, LLC, Coinbase Derivatives, LLC, Coinbase Financial Markets, Inc., Coinbase Credit, Inc., or CB Payments, Ltd. Each subsidiary is a separate legal entity with its own regulatory registrations, its own jurisdiction of formation, and its own registered agent. Courts will not treat service on a holding company parent as constructive service on operating subsidiaries without proof that the parent acted as the subsidiary’s agent for service of process — a showing that standard corporate separateness principles make difficult to establish. Individual service on each entity is required; Undisputed Legal coordinates simultaneous multi-entity service when multiple Coinbase entities are named in the same action.

What if the SEC dismissal affects my private securities claim?

The SEC’s voluntary dismissal of SEC v. Coinbase does not moot, preclude, or weaken private securities claims. Federal securities law claims under Exchange Act § 10(b) and Rule 10b-5 are private rights of action that exist independently of any SEC enforcement proceeding. The SEC’s decision not to proceed against Coinbase is a policy choice, not a ruling that its conduct was lawful — courts considering private plaintiff claims are not bound by an agency’s enforcement discretion. Class actions alleging securities fraud in Coinbase’s IPO, in its token listings, or in its public company disclosures continue in federal court on their own merits, as do state consumer protection and state securities claims that do not depend on federal enforcement action.

Can stale registered-agent information cause my service to fail?

Stale registered-agent information is one of the most common causes of defective service in complex fintech litigation. For Coinbase specifically, the Texas reincorporation creates a categorical staleness problem: every corporate database, legal aggregator, and PACER docket that recorded Coinbase Global’s Delaware registered agent before December 15, 2025 is now wrong for service purposes. Serving a Delaware registered agent for the parent after that date creates a service-validity challenge that experienced defense counsel will raise at the first opportunity. For Delaware subsidiaries, registered-agent substitutions occur frequently and take effect on filing date without prior notice. Undisputed Legal verifies current registered-agent status through the Texas Secretary of State and the Delaware Division of Corporations CIS before every dispatch — preventing defective service and the cost of re-serving after a challenge.