Share this article

Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin: Coinbase Enables 'Instant' Purchases for US Buyers

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has announced that purchases of bitcoin, ethereum and litecoin will now be instant – for some customers.

Updated Sep 13, 2021, 7:01 a.m. Published Oct 12, 2017, 4:00 p.m.
Lightbulbs

Cryptocurrency exchange startup Coinbase has announced that some users will now be able to access "instant" purchases of bitcoin, ethereum and litecoin.

The new service is currently only available for users making payments from a U.S. bank account and in amounts of under $25,000. However, Coinbase said it plans to expand the instant purchasing service to other countries "over the coming months."

STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters

Whereas previously such transactions would have taken several days, the firm said, customers will now have immediate access to their cryptocurrency holdings after the payment is made.

The San Francisco-based firm explained that the new feature has been a "highly requested" one, and that it should increase the overall speed and usability of the platform.

The move is likely to be popular with users of the startup's service, which been the target of criticism over poor customer service. Coinbase has previously stated that rapid user growth in recent months led to the issues, committing at the time to devote more funds to boost its customer services resources.

Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in Coinbase.

Lightbulbs image via Shutterstock

More For You

Protocol Research: GoPlus Security

GP Basic Image

What to know:

  • As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
  • GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
  • Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.

More For You

How Much Longer Until We Consider the Bitcoin Power Law Model Invalid?

Power Law (Glassnode)

As the gap between spot bitcoin price and the power law widens, investors are left questioning whether mean reversion is coming or if another cornerstone model is approaching its end.

What to know:

  • Bitcoin has largely tracked its long standing power law trend this cycle, though it now trades about 32% below the model.
  • Earlier models like stock to flow have already failed, with its current implied valuation near $1.3 million per bitcoin