Difference between accounts and coinbase accounts?

Exchange/Pro API
1

If you look at the API documentation, it has accounts, see

and coinbase accounts, see Get all Coinbase wallets
what is the difference between them?
Are these difference entities?

Thanks!

2

Hello @SaimonM! Welcome to the forum! Thank you for taking an interest in our Coinbase APIs.

To answer your questions, I have provided the description of two endpoints so you can have a further understanding on the following endpoints.

  • /accounts endpoint

    • This endpoint is specifically used for your trading accounts (e.g Coinbase pro, Coinbase Exchange). This allows you to send a GET request in order to show particular information in your profile such as: accounts for a profile, single account by id, single account’s holds, single account’s ledger, and single account’s transfers.

  • /coinbase-accounts endpoint

    • This endpoint is specifically used for all of your available Coinbase wallets (These are the wallets/accounts that are used for buying and selling on www.coinbase.com)

Please note that your trading accounts are separate from your Coinbase accounts. In summary, /accounts endpoint and /coinbase-accounts endpoint are two different entities

We hope this helps. Thank you and have a nice day!

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3

Thank you so much for your answer!
I think I am confused even more.

is the difference in what applications those accounts are used in?
What can I do with accounts from the endpoint #1 (/accounts )
What can I do with accounts from the endpoint #2 (/coinbase-accounts )
I assume when I buy crypto, it goes to my wallet, which is #2. But how come that most of the information, e.g. orders, trades, etc is associate with accounts from group #1 ?

Can you list what actions can I do with accounts from group #1 and #2 ?
Not from API but from business perspective

4

Hello @SaimonM! We understand your case and we’re here to guide you further. Related to this, please find the following answers to your questions:

1. Is the difference in what applications those accounts are used in?

  • Yes, actually these two endpoints serve two different Coinbase products. /accounts is for Coinbase Exchange/Pro, while /coinbase-accounts is for coinbase.com. For more information on these products, you can refer to these documentation links: Getting started (coinbase.com), Getting Started (Exchange/Pro)

2. What can I do with accounts from the endpoint #1 (/accounts)

  • As mentioned, this endpoint is specific to trading accounts linked to Coinbase Pro/Exchange trading portfolio. This endpoint will simply give you all related information with your trading account such as account holds and ledger activity in the trading platform.

3. What can I do with accounts from the endpoint #2 (/coinbase-accounts)

  • This endpoint corresponds to the accounts resource under coinbase.com. Basically, the account resource represents all of a coinbase.com user’s accounts, including cryptocurrency wallets, fiat currency accounts, and vaults. Primarily, this resource is linked for peer-to-peer transactions for personal, non-business use that involves digital currency.

4. I assume when I buy crypto, it goes to my wallet, which is #2. But how come that most of the information, e.g. orders, trades, etc is associated with accounts from group #1?

  • As mentioned, /accounts and /coinbase-accounts are two entirely different entities. Buying crypto assets is possible on both endpoints, however the concept and means on how to execute such may be different.
  • For coinbase.com, buying crypto is a simple transaction that may be done directly using the /buys endpoint. However, for Coinbase Exchange/Pro, buying entails a more complicated approach as this is done via the /orders endpoint and is done through the trading market.
  • In a simpler context, /coinbase-accounts from coinbase.com is all about the account resource mentioned above. While /accounts from Coinbase Exchange/Pro, on the other hand, is specific to trading accounts that are mostly involved for transactions under your trading portfolio such as those orders and trades that you mentioned.

5. Can you list what actions I can do with accounts from group #1 and #2? Not from API but from business perspective.

  • Related to the answers presented above, please note that /coinbase-accounts allows users to buy, sell, deposit and withdraw crypto assets. This is tied up to coinbase.com which is a dedicated Coinbase product that acts as a crypto brokerage where you buy or sell crypto in exchange for cash.
  • While for /accounts in Coinbase Exchange/Pro, on the other hand, as mentioned is linked to transactions such as the orders and trades placed under your trading portfolio. Meaning, all transactions under the /accounts endpoint are actually tied to transactions involving the trading platform and your trading portfolio.

We hope this helps and we are able to provide a clarification on your concerns. Thank you and have a great day!

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