Coinbase Launches CDP Wallets to Give Developers Full Control Without Managing Private Keys
Coinbase has unveiled a new solution aimed at redefining wallet infrastructure for blockchain developers. The release of CDP Wallets—currently available in open beta—marks a major shift in how developers can build, manage, and interact with self-custodied crypto wallets without the burden of handling private keys or deploying complex infrastructure.
Solving a Longstanding Dilemma
Traditionally, developers faced a tradeoff: either manage their own private keys and infrastructure—introducing operational complexity and security risks—or rely on custodians and sacrifice control. CDP Wallets (Coinbase Developer Platform Wallets) aim to solve this challenge by offering a new model that combines self-custody with simplicity.
Powered by Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) using AWS Nitro Enclaves, the platform ensures that private keys remain encrypted and inaccessible—even to Coinbase. Instead of traditional methods like externally owned accounts (EOAs) or multi-party computation (MPC), developers interact entirely through scoped API credentials.
“You create, sign, and manage transactions entirely through scoped API calls: no MPC, no key shards, no infrastructure to deploy,” Coinbase explained.
Developer-Centric Design
The wallet infrastructure is designed with speed and scalability in mind. Key features include:
- Instant wallet creation
- Low-latency transaction signing
- Support for EVM chains and Solana
- Integration with tools like viem, wagmi, and ethers.js
- EIP-712 typed message signing for structured smart contract interactions
These features make CDP Wallets particularly well-suited for use cases like real-time DeFi bots, on-chain AI agents, payments systems, and enterprise-level treasury operations.
In a nod to economic incentives, U.S.-based developers can also earn 4.1% rewards in USDC on idle wallet balances—no staking or lockups required.
A Step Toward Invisible Wallet Infrastructure
Coinbase’s broader vision is to make wallet infrastructure “programmable, policy-enforced, and invisible to the end user.” With CDP Wallets, developers are empowered to build seamless onchain experiences without exposing users to the technical overhead typically associated with blockchain interactions.