Coinbase has acquired Echo, a leading crowdfunding platform for crypto projects, in a $375 million deal that bolsters its community-driven fundraising capabilities. This move integrates Echo’s innovative tools like Sonar to enhance onchain token sales and connect founders with investors directly.
Discover how Coinbase’s acquisition of Echo revolutionizes crypto crowdfunding. Explore the $375M deal’s impact on community investing and onchain tools for startups. Stay informed on key developments.
Coinbase Echo acquisition marks a significant expansion for the exchange into community-led fundraising. In a $375 million deal, Coinbase bought Echo, a platform enabling early-stage crypto projects to raise funds through collective investments. This purchase, announced recently, aims to integrate Echo’s technology to foster direct connections between projects and investors on the blockchain.
Prior to the acquisition, Coinbase transferred $25 million in USDC to Jordan Fish’s wallet, known as Cobie, to acquire and burn an NFT while supporting the revival of his UpOnly podcast. Cobie, a prominent figure in the crypto space, founded Echo two years ago with the expectation of potential failure but viewed it as a worthwhile endeavor.
“I certainly didn’t think Echo would be sold to Coinbase, but here we are: Today Coinbase bought Echo for about $375 million,” Cobie stated on X.
Echo launched in April 2024 as a hub for community investing in startups and crypto initiatives. Within eight months, it successfully raised more than $51 million through 131 deals, demonstrating rapid adoption. One standout success was Ethena, a protocol behind the stablecoin USDe, which became the platform’s inaugural project.
Cobie highlighted Ethena’s milestone, noting it generated Echo’s first revenue of $37,000 upon token unlock. “The first project to ever fundraise with Echo was Ethena… Thanks to Ethena, to the group leads that shared the deal, and to the Echo users who bought it. Onwards!” he shared on X.
In May 2025, Echo introduced Sonar, a versatile software allowing founders to conduct public token sales independently. This tool supports multiple blockchains, including Base, Solana, Cardano, and Hyperliquid, providing flexibility for decentralized fundraising.
Post-acquisition, Echo will operate as a standalone platform initially, with Sonar set for integration into Coinbase’s services. This synergy promises streamlined access for users to participate in token sales and beyond. “Integrating Echo’s tools will help us enable more direct community participation, joining projects with capital, entirely onchain,” a Coinbase spokesperson explained in the announcement.
The deal extends Coinbase’s roadmap to include tokenized securities and real-world assets, leveraging Echo’s infrastructure for broader applications. Industry analysts, citing a Tiger Research report, observe this as evidence of ICO-style fundraising’s revival in evolved forms. Platforms like Sonar, Legion, and Kaito are driving this trend with improved transparency and robust mechanisms, reminiscent of the 2017 boom but with modern safeguards.
The acquisition underscores Coinbase’s strategy to deepen its role in the Web3 ecosystem, empowering communities to fund innovative projects efficiently.
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Coinbase acquired Echo for $375 million to enhance its community fundraising tools, integrating platforms like Sonar for onchain token sales. Founded by Jordan Fish (Cobie), Echo raised over $51 million in eight months, attracting Coinbase’s interest in its proven model for early-stage crypto projects.
Sonar allows founders to host public token sales on various blockchains, making it easier for investors to participate directly. After integration, Coinbase users will access these opportunities seamlessly, with plans to expand to tokenized assets, improving investment diversity and onchain efficiency.
The Coinbase Echo acquisition represents a pivotal step in bridging traditional exchange services with decentralized crowdfunding, incorporating Echo’s Sonar for enhanced onchain participation. As crypto markets mature, this integration of the Echo platform promises innovative pathways for project funding and investor engagement. Looking ahead, expect further advancements in tokenized assets, positioning Coinbase at the forefront of Web3 evolution — explore these opportunities to stay ahead in the dynamic crypto landscape.
