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The Echo platform enables Web3 companies to raise capital by leveraging blockchain technology for compliance, contract issuance, and investor onboarding.
Cryptocurrency exchange giant Coinbase has announced the acquisition of blockchain capital-raising platform Echo for $375 million in a cash and stock deal.
The Echo platform lets Web3 companies raise capital, using blockchain technology to manage compliance, contract issuance, and onboarding. Investors can browse active crypto fundraising campaigns on the platform, similar to StartEngine for private startup investing.
The acquisition brings Coinbase into the capital-raising market, which has been growing rapidly over the past 12 months. According to early-stage Web3 investor Outlier Ventures, $17 billion was raised for Web3 companies in the first half of 2025, a 41% increase from the second half of 2024. There were 773 disclosed deals in the first half of 2025.
“The ‘why’ is simple. We want to create more accessible, efficient, and transparent capital markets. But today, founders often struggle to raise capital, and individual investors don’t have the opportunity to invest in private token sales,” Coinbase chief business officer Shan Aggarwal said in the announcement. “Echo solves this by allowing projects to raise directly from their community, either through a private sale or by self-hosting a public token sale using Sonar. Integrating Echo’s tools will help us enable more direct community participation, connecting projects with capital, entirely on-chain.”
Echo will be integrated into the Coinbase platform, allowing investors and crypto companies to potentially raise funds directly on Coinbase in the future. That could open the fundraising market to millions of crypto investors.
In its statement, Coinbase said the acquisition of Echo and Liquifi, acquired in July, provides crypto companies with a full-stack solution for developing, funding, and launching Web3 projects, specifically tokens. Liquifi streamlines token creation and management, Echo enables private fundraising and public sales, and Coinbase offers its platform for listing and distribution.
The friendliness of the Trump administration toward crypto has given Coinbase and other industry giants license to go on a spending spree. The acquisition of Echo is Coinbase’s eighth deal so far this year, more than double the three acquisitions made in 2024. While the full extent of Coinbase’s spending is unknown, it paid $2.9 billion in August for crypto derivatives exchange Deribit.
President Trump has signed several orders aimed at increasing the purchase and use of cryptocurrency in the United States. The creation of a strategic Bitcoin reserve and digital asset stockpile, alongside the signing of stablecoin legislation and regulatory frameworks, has been viewed positively by the crypto community for establishing the viability and staying power of cryptocurrencies in the US market.
Outside of executive orders, President Trump and First Lady Melania have both launched memecoins.
This positive outlook has driven the price of Bitcoin up 61% since October last year, reaching a peak valuation of $124,310 on October 7.
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David Curry is a tech journalist and analyst with over a decade of experience writing for established outlets. He holds a master’s degree in International Journalism from the University of Leeds and has covered the technology sector since the early 2010s. His work focuses on B2B technology, data journalism, mobile apps and app markets, artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and emerging technologies. He earned a BA from the University of Lincoln and an MA from the University of Leeds.
