Coinbase · XRP guide
How to buy XRP on Coinbase and send it to your own wallet
Preparation
What you need before the first XRP purchase
Plan for about 30 minutes once your account is verified, plus the ACH hold before you can send XRP bought with ACH money.
Identity review: Coinbase notifies you within 24 hours.
- You are 18 or older and live in the US; Coinbase’s US terms exclude no state, and New York and Hawaii are served.
- A valid photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport, and a phone with a camera for the selfie.
- A bank account for ACH, or a debit card if you want to send the XRP right after buying.
- An XRP Ledger wallet you control, with its address saved, or an exchange account with its address and destination tag.
- At least 1 XRP more than you plan to keep, if the receiving wallet is new: the ledger holds 1 XRP as the account reserve.
- Step 1 of 6
Step 1: Verify your identity
Upload your ID and a selfie in the app.
Sign in, select Verify your info and follow the prompts to photograph your ID and take a selfie. Coinbase notifies you of the review within 24 hours. Upload only on pages that end in .coinbase.com, and never send ID photos by email.SourceCoinbase identity verificationOriginal
- Step 2 of 6
Step 2: Add money by ACH or debit card
Choose how fast you need to send the XRP.
Link your bank account for ACH or add a debit card. XRP bought with ACH money that is still on hold can be traded, but sent to another wallet only after the hold ends; Coinbase emails the date. A debit card purchase can be sent at once and costs more in the order preview.2 sourcesCoinbase fundingOriginalCoinbase holdsOriginal
- Step 3 of 6
Step 3: Buy XRP
Simple screen or Advanced, with the total in view.
In the app, open Buy & sell, choose Buy and XRP, enter the amount and review the order: the preview shows the Coinbase fee, the spread and the XRP you receive. On Coinbase Advanced you pay 0.60% maker or 1.20% taker at the entry tier instead.3 sourcesCoinbase pricing and feesOriginalCoinbase Advanced feesOriginalCoinbase: buy cryptoOriginal
- Step 4 of 6
Step 4: Prepare the receiving wallet
Address, destination tag, and the 1 XRP reserve.
Copy the XRP address from the wallet you control. A wallet of your own usually needs no destination tag; an exchange account almost always does, and its tag goes in the tag field. A new XRP Ledger account becomes active with its first 1 XRP, which the ledger keeps as the reserve.2 sourcesCoinbase destination tagsOriginalXRPL reservesOriginal
- Step 5 of 6
Step 5: Send a small test amount, then the rest
Paste the address, check the network, confirm.
In the app, open Pay, choose XRP and the amount, paste the address, select the network and add the destination tag if the receiver asks for one. Review the network fee and send. Start with a test amount above the 0.35 XRP minimum; a sent transfer cannot be reversed.3 sourcesCoinbase XRP detailsOriginalCoinbase: send cryptoOriginalCoinbase destination tagsOriginal
- Step 6 of 6
Step 6: Check the arrival and keep the records
Transaction hash, cost basis, Form 1099-DA.
Look up the transaction on an XRP Ledger explorer with the hash from Coinbase, and keep the purchase receipt with date, USD amount and fees. Coinbase issues Form 1099-DA with proceeds from tax year 2025 and adds cost basis from tax year 2026; a transfer to your own wallet is not a sale, but the records keep your cost basis.SourceCoinbase 1099-DAOriginal
After setup
Keep checking these items
Keep the account, withdrawal and record checks current so you can locate the relevant information later.
Keep the reserve in mind
Your wallet always holds 1 XRP plus 0.2 XRP for each trust line or offer you add. Only the rest can be sent on.
Save your tax records
Download the transaction history once a year and keep it with the Form 1099-DA, so the cost basis of XRP held in your own wallet stays documented.
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