Coinbase vs Gemini: Founders, CEOs and History
Coinbase was founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong, Fred Ehrsam and is led by Brian Armstrong. Gemini was founded in 2014 by Tyler Winklevoss, Cameron Winklevoss and is led by Tyler Winklevoss.
Company facts
Founders
Coinbase
Brian Armstrong
Brian Armstrong co-founded Coinbase in 2012 after reading the Bitcoin whitepaper and concluding that buying and storing bitcoin was too hard for ordinary people.
Fred Ehrsam
Fred Ehrsam co-founded Coinbase with Brian Armstrong in 2012 and helped shape its early trading, banking and fundraising work. He stepped back from operations in January 2017 but has remained a member of Coinbase's board.
Gemini
Tyler Winklevoss
Winklevoss co-founded Gemini Trust Company, establishing one of the earliest regulated cryptocurrency trust companies chartered by the New York State Department of Financial Services.
Cameron Winklevoss
Winklevoss co-founded Gemini, leading product development for institutional custody, credit cards, the GUSD stablecoin, and Web3 venture investments.
CEOs and their tenures
Coinbase
- Brian Armstrong2012–present
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Co-founded Coinbase in 2012 and has led it as CEO ever since, taking it from a Y Combinator bitcoin wallet to a Nasdaq-listed, S&P 500 crypto exchange and infrastructure company.
Source - Fred Ehrsam2012–2017
Co-Founder
Co-founded Coinbase in 2012 and brought trading experience from Goldman Sachs. He stepped back from operations in 2017, remains a Coinbase director, and co-founded crypto investor Paradigm in 2018.
Source - Emilie Choi2018–present
President and Chief Operating Officer
Joined Coinbase in 2018 to lead corporate and business development after senior roles at LinkedIn, and now oversees operations as President and COO.
- Alesia Haas2018–present
Chief Financial Officer
CFO since 2018, previously CFO of Sculptor Capital (Och-Ziff) and OneWest Bank; led the 2021 direct listing and capital management.
- Paul Grewal2020–present
Chief Legal Officer
Former U.S. magistrate judge and Facebook deputy general counsel who led Coinbase's defense in the SEC lawsuit.
Gemini
- Tyler Winklevoss2014–present
Co-founder & CEO
An Olympic rower and Harvard alumnus, Tyler Winklevoss's steadfast advocacy for regulated digital asset infrastructure helped bridge Wall Street institutions with crypto markets.
Source - Cameron Winklevoss2014–present
Co-founder & President
Co-founded Gemini and serves as President, overseeing strategy, partnerships and regulatory engagement.
Source
Timeline: Coinbase and Gemini side by side
2012Coinbase
Company Founded via Y Combinator
Brian Armstrong took Coinbase through Y Combinator's Summer 2012 batch and co-founded it with Fred Ehrsam. The service launched in October 2012, letting U.S. users buy bitcoin with a linked bank account, which few rivals offered at the time.
2012Gemini
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss purchase approximately 1% of all circulating Bitcoin at ~$10 per coin.
2013Coinbase
Andreessen Horowitz Leads $25M Series B
Andreessen Horowitz led a $25 million Series B at a valuation of approximately $143 million, the largest crypto venture investment to date and a signal that mainstream Silicon Valley was taking cryptocurrency seriously.
2014Gemini
Founders incorporate Gemini Trust Company in New York City with a regulatory-first strategy.
2015Coinbase
Receives New York BitLicense
Coinbase was among the first companies granted New York's BitLicense, the state's crypto-specific regulatory framework. The approval reinforced its compliance-first positioning in the U.S. market.
2015Gemini
October 5: NYDFS grants Gemini a Limited Liability Trust Charter; exchange launches publicly.
2017Coinbase
Surpasses 10 Million Users
Coinbase crossed 10 million users in 2017 as bitcoin approached $20,000, and its app reached the top of Apple's U.S. App Store in December 2017. Rapid growth also strained the platform, leading to outages and support backlogs.
2018Coinbase
Launches Coinbase Custody for Institutions
Coinbase launched Coinbase Custody, a regulated institutional-grade custody product designed to meet the fiduciary requirements of hedge funds, family offices, and eventually public pension funds.
2018Gemini
Launches the Gemini Dollar (GUSD); launches major 'The Revolution Needs Rules' national ad campaign.
2019Gemini
Acquires NFT platform Nifty Gateway.
2020Gemini
Becomes the first crypto custodian in history to achieve SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II security certifications.
2021Coinbase
Nasdaq Direct Listing
Coinbase listed on Nasdaq through a direct listing on April 14, 2021. Shares opened at $381 against a $250 reference price and the company ended its first day valued at about $86 billion, making it the first major U.S. crypto exchange to go public.
2021Coinbase
Reports Record $7.8B Revenue and $3.6B Net Income
Fiscal year 2021 produced Coinbase's strongest financial results in its history, with net revenue of $7.8 billion and net income of $3.6 billion driven by a retail crypto buying wave and Bitcoin prices reaching $69,000.
2021Gemini
Raises $400 million at a $7.1 billion valuation in a round including Morgan Creek Digital and 10T Holdings.
2022Coinbase
Navigates Industry Crisis; Workforce Reduction
The Terra/Luna and FTX collapses and a deep crypto bear market cut Coinbase's revenue from $7.84 billion in 2021 to about $3.19 billion in 2022.
2022Gemini
Launches the crypto-rewards Gemini Credit Card nationwide across the United States.
2023Coinbase
Launches Base Layer 2 Blockchain
Coinbase opened Base, an Ethereum layer-2 network built on Optimism's OP Stack, to the public in August 2023.
2023Coinbase
SEC Files Lawsuit Against Coinbase
The SEC sued Coinbase in June 2023, alleging it operated as an unregistered exchange, broker and clearing agency and that its staking program was an unregistered security. Coinbase contested the case, and in February 2025 the SEC agreed to dismiss it.
2024Coinbase
Bitcoin Spot ETFs Approved; Coinbase Named Primary Custodian
The SEC approved U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs in January 2024, and Coinbase was named custodian for eight of the eleven initial funds, including BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust.
2024Coinbase
Reports $6.56B Revenue and $2.58B Net Income
FY2024 total revenue was $6.56 billion, roughly double FY2023's $3.11 billion, with net income of about $2.58 billion. ETF-driven trading, higher crypto prices and stablecoin income all contributed.
2024Gemini
Successfully returns over $2.18 billion in digital assets to Earn users in kind (100% recovery).
2025Coinbase
Joins the S&P 500
Coinbase was added to the S&P 500 in May 2025, replacing Discover Financial and becoming the first crypto-native company in the index.
2025Coinbase
Completes $2.9B Deribit Acquisition
Coinbase closed its acquisition of Deribit, the largest crypto options exchange, in August 2025 for about $2.9 billion in cash and stock. FY2025 revenue reached $7.18 billion and net income $1.26 billion.
2025Gemini
September 12: Gemini Space Station lists on Nasdaq as GEMI after a $425 million IPO priced at $28.
2026Coinbase
Cuts 14% of Staff Amid Crypto Slump
After a $394 million net loss in Q1 2026, Coinbase announced in May 2026 that it would cut about 700 jobs, roughly 14% of its workforce, citing market volatility and AI-driven changes to how it works.
2026Gemini
February: cuts up to 25% of staff and exits the UK, EU and Australia; May: Winklevoss Capital invests $100 million.
Acquisitions
Coinbase
- Deribit2025$2.9B
- Echo2025Undisclosed
- One River Digital Asset Management2023Undisclosed
- FairX2022Undisclosed
- Bison Trails2021Undisclosed
- Tagomi2020Undisclosed
Questions about Coinbase vs Gemini
Who is the CEO of Coinbase Global and Gemini?
Coinbase Global is led by Brian Armstrong and Gemini is led by Tyler Winklevoss. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Coinbase Global founded vs Gemini?
Coinbase Global was founded in 2012 — 2 years before Gemini, which was founded in 2014. Coinbase Global's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Gemini.
How many employees does Coinbase Global have compared to Gemini?
Coinbase Global employs approximately 4,951 people, while Gemini employs approximately 600. Coinbase Global has the larger workforce at 4,951 employees, compared to Gemini's 600. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Coinbase Global and Gemini headquartered?
Both Coinbase Global and Gemini are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Coinbase Global and Gemini?
Coinbase Global was founded by Brian Armstrong, Fred Ehrsam. Gemini was founded by Tyler Winklevoss, Cameron Winklevoss.
Which company has a longer operating history — Coinbase Global or Gemini?
Coinbase Global has been operating for approximately 14 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Gemini has been in operation for around 12 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Coinbase vs Gemini overview