Coinbase has expanded its Solana integration by enabling native decentralized exchange trading within its mobile application, allowing users to trade Solana-based tokens directly on-chain through the platform for the first time.
The update, confirmed from Coinbase protocol specialist Andrew, enables USDC transactions in addition to standard payment options such as cash, bank accounts and debit cards.
It follows the company’s rollout of DEX support for basic network assets in August and fulfills its previous promise to bring Solana into the lineup before the end of the year.
Solana will become core to Coinbase’s vision as on-chain trading increases
The move comes as Coinbase pushes to move toward what it calls the “all exchange,” a long-term plan to combine custody and on-chain trading under one roof.
Earlier this month, the company made revealed that it would acquire Vector, an on-chain trading platform built natively on Solana.
Coinbase said the deal, expected to close by the end of the year, will connect Vector’s infrastructure to its DEX architecture.
Vector’s tools specialize in identifying new Solana assets as they are deployed on-chain or emerge from launch pads, a capability that Coinbase says will improve speed, liquidity and asset discovery for retail traders.
Solana’s trading environment has become one of Coinbase’s strategic focuses. Data shows that Solana DEX volume has already been reached surpassed $1 trillion by 2025, underscoring the acceleration of the chain.
A recent snapshot of the ecosystem shows more than $4 billion in 24-hour volume and nearly $94 billion in the last month
Platforms such as HumidiFi, Pump, Meteora, Raydium, Orca and Tessera V now dominate the activity, accounting for more than 88 percent of daily transactions.
The data set shows that newer entrants have captured significant market share, reshaping a space once led by Orca and Serum.
Notably, in October, Coinbase quietly expanded its on-chain features by adding DEX trading to its mobile app for US users. The update will allow people to exchange tokens directly on-chain, including assets that have not yet made it to Coinbase’s main lists.
@Coinbase has rolled out DEX trading directly within its mobile app for US users, expanding the platform’s on-chain capabilities.#Coinbase #DEXhttps://t.co/rhNl9TEAuz
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 9, 2025
Users in New York are still blocked due to local rules. The company had been testing the feature with a smaller group of users since August before rolling it out more widely.
The Solana community speaks of friction as Coinbase rolls out the Base-Solana Bridge
Coinbase’s decision to deepen Solana integration comes just days after the company faced criticism within the Solana community for launching a new cross-chain bridge between Base and Solana.
The bridge, secured by Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol, went live on December 5 and is designed to let users move SPL assets into Base environments and use them in Base-native applications.
Basic leader Jesse Pollak described the product as a two-way channel intended to unlock shared liquidity.
However, Solana co-founded Anatoly Yakovenko rejected the framing and argued that bridges function as value capture mechanisms rather than as neutral infrastructure.
The problem is that the alignment is bs. @ilblackdragon working on near intentions for near, not trying to sell me alignment bs. It is a great competitive product that is moving the industry forward. It has solana tokens on it, but the value capture is close. Good for him.…
— toly
(@aeyaovenko) December 5, 2025
He urged Base developers to move the calculations to Solana if they expected economic alignment.
The tension escalated when the Solana Foundation became a member criticized the bridge rollout, saying it bypassed their engineering and marketing teams and lacked a single Solana-based launch partner.
Pollack responded by pointing to nine months of development work and the said demand from builders on both sides justified the connection.
Market observers noted that Coinbase and Base had followed a similar pattern during previous outreach to Ethereum developers.
Coinbase is doubling down on international expansion
The DEX expansion also comes as Coinbase tries to recover from declining trading volumes and increasing competition from US rivals such as Robinhood and Kraken.
By allowing users to hold their own assets and transact on-chain, the company aims to leverage the demand for self-custody and reduce dependence on traditional exchange infrastructure.
Coinbase’s broader international lineup has also recently expanded. In November, the company launched Coinbase Business in Singapore, and on December 8, the exchange reopened registration in India after a two-year hiatus, with plans to restore fiat support by 2026.
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