Coinbase Reportedly Eases Verification for Mainland China
Coinbase Reportedly Accepts Chinese National IDs for Verification – Potential Shift in Mainland Access to Offshore Trading
Key Takeaways
- Users on July 14 reported that Coinbase began accepting Chinese national IDs and mainland addresses for account verification.
- Coinbase has not issued a public announcement, and its help documentation still lists a passport as the only accepted document for China.
- The People’s Bank of China and nine other agencies banned crypto trading for mainland residents in September 2021.
- Trading crypto from offshore exchanges remains prohibited for mainland residents under current Chinese regulations.
User Reports Indicate New Verification Option for Mainland China
On July 14, multiple social media users stated that Coinbase had opened account registration to users in mainland China. According to screenshots shared online, some individuals were able to complete identity verification using Chinese national identification cards and mainland addresses.
Wu Blockchain reported that Coinbase staff confirmed the change to users, saying verification could now be completed with a Chinese national ID. The reports suggest that onboarding may no longer require a Chinese passport combined with a Hong Kong address, which had previously posed practical obstacles for many potential applicants.
Until now, mainland residents faced strict documentation requirements. Coinbase’s identity verification process for China listed a passport as the only supported identification document, while proof of address was marked as unavailable. The apparent shift, if implemented more broadly, would represent a change in how mainland applicants can attempt to access the platform.
Company Response and Ongoing Documentation Discrepancy
Coinbase has not published a formal statement announcing a policy update for mainland China. In response to a request for comment cited in the source material, Mary-Kate Collins, head of international communications at Coinbase, referred to the company’s offshore platform but did not directly confirm that mainland verification requirements had been eased.
She stated that Coinbase International Exchange allows customers in more than 100 countries to onboard and trade products including crypto, equities, and commodities. However, this comment did not address whether Chinese national IDs are now officially accepted for verification.
At the time of reporting, Coinbase’s help center documentation continued to state that a passport is the sole supported identification document for China. The difference between user reports and published guidance leaves the scope and permanence of the change unclear.
Regulatory Background: China’s 2021 Crypto Trading Ban
In September 2021, the People’s Bank of China and nine other agencies issued a notice declaring crypto trading illegal financial activity. The notice explicitly prohibited offshore exchanges from providing services to mainland residents.
Following the announcement, major platforms adjusted their policies. Huobi, which was among the largest global exchanges at the time, stopped accepting Chinese users within days of the notice.
Regulatory measures have since expanded. In February, authorities widened the scope of restrictions to cover stablecoins and tokenization. In May, a separate crackdown targeted offshore brokers serving mainland trading channels. Under this framework, mainland residents remain prohibited from engaging in crypto trading, regardless of whether the platform is based domestically or offshore.
Comparison With Other Offshore Exchanges
Coinbase is not the first exchange reported to serve Chinese users through offshore channels. According to the source material, OKX and other competitors have long provided services to some mainland users.
The distinction highlighted in the report relates to visibility. Coinbase is a publicly listed United States exchange. Any move that appears to ease onboarding for mainland residents could attract attention due to the regulatory sensitivity of crypto trading in China.
For users, the legal framework remains unchanged. The 2021 notice classifies services from offshore exchanges to mainland residents as illegal financial activity. This means that even if an exchange accepts identification documents and completes verification, the act of trading may still fall under the existing prohibition.
Market Significance of Mainland Participation
Before China’s mining ban, the country played a significant role in the global crypto ecosystem. Data from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance showed that China accounted for more than 75 percent of global Bitcoin hashrate in September 2019. That share fell to near zero by July 2021 after authorities enforced restrictions on mining.
The scale of that earlier activity illustrates the size of the market that was effectively removed following regulatory intervention. Any renewed access for mainland retail users, even if partial, would involve a large potential user base. However, current regulations prohibiting trading remain in force.
For international users of crypto platforms, the situation underscores the importance of understanding local legal frameworks. Platform-level access and national law do not necessarily align, and verification approval does not automatically indicate regulatory authorization within a user’s jurisdiction.
Our Assessment
User reports and confirmations cited by Wu Blockchain indicate that some mainland Chinese residents were able to complete Coinbase account verification using national IDs and local addresses on July 14. Coinbase has not formally announced a policy change, and its official help documentation continues to list more restrictive requirements.
China’s 2021 ban on crypto trading for mainland residents remains in effect, and subsequent regulatory actions have reinforced restrictions on offshore services. The reported verification changes therefore occur within a legal environment that continues to prohibit trading activity for mainland users, regardless of platform onboarding practices.
