Coinbase Doubles Down on Crypto Culture and Fundraising

Coinbase has announced the acquisition of Echo, a crypto fundraising platform that has helped projects raise more than 200 million dollars, in a deal worth approximately 375 million dollars in cash and stock.

The move comes just one day after Coinbase purchased the “UpOnly” NFT from well-known crypto figure Cobie for 25 million USDC, suggesting a coordinated strategy to reconnect with the cultural roots of crypto while expanding its on-chain services.

A Calculated Cultural and Strategic Play

The timing of the two acquisitions has not gone unnoticed.

The “UpOnly” NFT was a symbol of Cobie’s iconic podcast, UpOnly, which featured some of the biggest names in crypto including Sam Bankman-Fried, Do Kwon, Michael Saylor, and Martin Shkreli.

The podcast captured the energy of the bull market era and became a cornerstone of crypto media before its FTX sponsorship fell apart during the 2022 collapse.

Cobie, whose real name is Jordan Fish, is widely regarded as a crypto OG.

He was once one of the most trusted community members in early crypto betting circles, often serving as an escrow for multimillion-dollar wagers between industry figures.

His influence extended beyond trading and into shaping how crypto communities interacted during the rise of decentralized culture.

Many observers believe Coinbase’s recent moves form part of a deliberate marketing and cultural strategy.

By acquiring both Echo and a piece of crypto’s most recognizable media history, Coinbase positions itself not just as an exchange, but as the brand reconnecting with the culture that built Web3 in the first place.

What Echo Brings to Coinbase

Echo’s platform allows crypto startups to raise funds directly on-chain through private and public token offerings.

By integrating Echo, Coinbase aims to provide a complete fundraising-to-listing pipeline, combining token sales, launchpad infrastructure, custody, and liquidity under one ecosystem.

This approach mirrors the structure of traditional capital markets, but within a fully digital environment where ownership and participation are transparent and verifiable.

For emerging crypto projects, this could make Coinbase the default platform for compliant and community-backed fundraising.

The Bigger Picture

The back-to-back acquisitions signal that Coinbase is leaning into both infrastructure and identity.

Echo brings the tools to build the next generation of tokenized projects, while the UpOnly NFT links Coinbase to the heart of crypto’s cultural storytelling.

Together, they tell a broader story about the company’s intent:

to merge professionalism with authenticity, rebuild trust within the crypto community, and reclaim leadership in both finance and culture.

Outlook

If Coinbase successfully integrates Echo while leveraging the cultural symbolism of the UpOnly brand, it could become more than an exchange - it could evolve into the center of gravity for the next phase of Web3.

For now, the company has everyone’s attention, and the crypto world is watching closely to see if this strategy marks the start of a new narrative where culture, trust, and technology converge once again.