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Coinbase · XRP guide

How to buy XRP on Coinbase and send it to your own wallet

This guide takes you from a verified Coinbase account to XRP in a wallet you control on the XRP Ledger. It follows Coinbase’s own help pages, step by step, and points out the two places where money gets lost: a missing destination tag and a new wallet without its 1 XRP reserve.

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.
  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

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.

FAQ

Questions about buying and sending XRP on Coinbase

Do I need a destination tag to send XRP from Coinbase to my own wallet?
Usually not: a wallet you control has its own address. An exchange account normally needs one, and without it the funds do not arrive and Coinbase cannot retrieve them.
Why can’t I send the XRP I just bought?
If you paid with ACH money that is still on hold, the XRP can be traded but not sent until the hold ends. Coinbase emails the date; a debit card purchase can be sent at once.
How much XRP does a new wallet need?
At least 1 XRP. The XRP Ledger keeps it as the base reserve, plus 0.2 XRP for each object such as a trust line.
What is the smallest amount I can send?
Coinbase Exchange lists 0.35 XRP as the minimum withdrawal; the app shows the amount that applies to your account before you confirm.
Content checked Oct 15, 2026 · checked against 19 sources, 14 directly from CoinbaseShow sourcesHide sources
  1. Coinbase pricing and feeshelp.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026
  2. Coinbase licensescoinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026 · California disclosure: the Coinbase fee is at most $10 on orders under $200 and at most 6% of the USD value otherwise.
  3. Coinbase Advanced feeshelp.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026 · The tier table is shown after sign-in. The entry tier of 0.60% maker and 1.20% taker comes from two independent reviews that agree (NerdWallet, December 8, 2025; FXEmpire, September 28, 2025).
  4. NerdWallet Coinbase reviewnerdwallet.com · Oct 15, 2026 · Independent review, used only for the Advanced entry tier, together with FXEmpire.
  5. FXEmpire Coinbase reviewfxempire.com · Oct 15, 2026 · Independent review, used only for the Advanced entry tier, together with NerdWallet.
  6. Coinbase XRP-USD order bookapi.exchange.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026 · October 15, 2026, about 17:55 UTC: bid $1.3404, ask $1.3405.
  7. Coinbase fundinghelp.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026
  8. Coinbase holdshelp.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026
  9. Coinbase XRP detailsapi.exchange.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026 · Minimum withdrawal 0.35 XRP on Coinbase Exchange; the app may show a different minimum.
  10. Coinbase: buy cryptohelp.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026
  11. Coinbase: send cryptohelp.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026
  12. Coinbase destination tagshelp.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026
  13. XRPL reservesxrpl.org · Oct 15, 2026 · Base reserve 1 XRP plus 0.2 XRP per owned object, confirmed on the live ledger on October 15, 2026.
  14. Coinbase identity verificationhelp.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026
  15. Coinbase USD cashhelp.coinbase.com · Oct 5, 2026
  16. Coinbase 1099-DAhelp.coinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026
  17. Coinbase US user agreementcoinbase.com · Oct 15, 2026
  18. Kraken fee schedulekraken.com · Oct 15, 2026
  19. eToro US feesetoro.com · Oct 15, 2026