The largest crypto exchange in the United States has found a new way to show up in Washington's evolving financial agenda.
Not through lobbying , lawsuits or health drinks, but this time through employee benefits.
Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) CEO Brian Armstrong revealed on Jan. 28 that Coinbase will match government contributions to Trump Accounts for eligible children of its employees, aligning the company with a fast-growing initiative backed by Donald Trump.
Related: Analyst revamps MicroStrategy, Coinbase, Robinhood ratings
Coinbase joins Trump-backed accounts program
In a post on X, Armstrong said Coinbase is "proud to join" Trump's initiative by matching the $1,000 seed deposit provided by the U.S. Treasury for eligible children of Coinbase employees.
He added that the company hopes to eventually make its contribution in Bitcoin (BTC).
The Trump Accounts program was created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and is designed to give every U.S. child a government-backed investment account with tax-advantaged growth.
Under the program, children born between 2025 and 2028 automatically receive a $1,000 government deposit. In a separate expansion, additional funding will provide $250 accounts for up to 25 million children born before 2025.
Trump said dozens of major employers have already committed to adding Trump Account contributions to their employee benefit packages, including companies such as Uber, Intel, Nvidia, IBM, Comcast, and now Coinbase.
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A notable crypto gap in the investment menu
Despite Trump's increasingly vocal support for crypto and Coinbase's plan to donate in Bitcoin, crypto exposure is off-limits inside Trump Accounts.
According to Treasury guidance and materials from Charles Schwab, the accounts may currently invest only in:
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Index mutual funds
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Index exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
Spot Bitcoin ETFs, Ethereum ETFs, and tokenized assets are excluded for now.
That restriction stands out, especially given Trump's recent outreach to miners, public support for domestic Bitcoin mining, encouragement of U.S. on-chain markets and approval of a full slate of crypto ETFs during his administration.
Crypto firms step in through employee benefits
But does the absence of crypto in the program stop support from crypto firms?
Not at all.
Coinbase is not the first crypto-linked company to sign on.
In December, Robinhood Markets became the first crypto-facing firm to commit to matching $1,000 contributions for Trump Accounts held by eligible children of its employees.
Related: Cathie Wood predicts Trump won't be a 'lame duck' in 2026
This story was originally published by TheStreet on Jan 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the MARKETS section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
