Behind every successful token launch lies a mountain of overlooked headaches: vesting schedules, compliance snags, and cap table disasters. By acquiring LiquiFi, Coinbase is aiming to solve these problems and position itself as the backbone of the next crypto boom.

In a statement on July 2, Coinbase announced its acquisition of LiquiFi, a token management platform used by major projects like Uniswap and Optimism to automate critical aspects of token launches, including vesting, cap table tracking, and compliance workflows.

While financial terms were not disclosed, the deal marks Coinbase’s fourth acquisition of the year, following strategic moves in crypto advertising and derivatives. This latest acquisition targets a crucial but often ignored challenge: the operational sprawl between a token’s creation and its public debut.

“Early-stage teams face a fragmented, high-stakes maze of legal, tax, and compliance hurdles on top of stitching together cap table spreadsheets, custom vesting scripts, and regulatory guesswork. We want to remove these barriers by providing both the product and the expertise to make token launches simple, compliant, and scalable,” Coinbase wrote.

With LiquiFi, Coinbase can now integrate earlier in the project lifecycle, gaining influence before a token hits the market. This stands in contrast to the typical exchange approach of racing to list tokens after they’ve already gained momentum.

LiquiFi’s client base includes some of Ethereum’s most prominent projects, giving Coinbase immediate reach and strategic leverage in shaping how the next generation of protocols launch, distribute tokens, manage teams, and navigate regulation. Gaining control over this infrastructure could transform Coinbase’s role from passive exchange to active architect of onchain development.

Coinbase’s LiquiFi play isn’t an isolated case; it’s part of a $40 billion land grab sweeping through crypto in 2025. According to data from advisory firm Areta, this year’s M&A deals have already eclipsed all previous years combined, with exchanges, staking providers, and payment processors racing to consolidate power.

The driving force? A scramble for regulatory moats, institutional leverage, and control over the unglamorous plumbing that makes crypto actually work.