Coinbase is strengthening its position in the fast-growing Solana ecosystem with its latest acquisition of Vector, a Solana-native social trading platform.
Key Takeaways
- Coinbase has acquired Vector, a Solana-based trading platform, as part of its broader strategy to enhance on-chain trading capabilities
- Vector’s team and technology will be absorbed into Coinbase’s DEX trading systems to support faster token listings and broader access to Solana assets
- The acquisition will lead to the shutdown of Vector’s apps, with users transitioning to Coinbase products
- The move reflects Coinbase’s long-term push to unify centralized and decentralized trading experiences under one interface
What Happened?
Coinbase has officially announced its ninth acquisition of 2025 with the purchase of Vector, a Solana-native platform focused on social and on-chain trading. While financial terms were not disclosed, the deal is expected to close before the end of the year. The integration aims to boost Coinbase’s decentralized exchange offerings and accelerate access to Solana-based tokens.
We’re doubling down on @Solana.
— Coinbase 🛡️ (@coinbase) November 21, 2025
Coinbase is acquiring @VECTORDOTFUN, an onchain trading platform built on Solana, whose tech will plug directly into Coinbase to help better serve one of crypto’s most active ecosystems. pic.twitter.com/0ntHFXJeLO
Coinbase Taps Vector to Power Faster Solana Trading
Coinbase is taking a major step to enhance its Solana trading infrastructure by bringing in Vector’s technology and engineering team. According to the company, Vector’s tools are built specifically for Solana’s high-performance blockchain, offering fast execution, DEX aggregation and rapid support for new token listings.
Vector, launched last year by the creators of Solana NFT marketplace Tensor, focused heavily on meme coin trading and social features.
Coinbase will wind down Vector’s standalone desktop and mobile apps, encouraging users to shift toward Coinbase’s native trading solutions.
Users have until November 26 to transfer their assets before the applications are sunsetted. After that, they can still export private keys for four years.
This acquisition follows Coinbase’s recent purchases of Echo, a crypto fundraising platform acquired for 375 million dollars, and Deribit, a derivatives exchange bought for 2.9 billion dollars. It’s clear the company is accelerating its “everything exchange” strategy, which aims to bring CEX and DEX functionality into a single seamless experience.
Solana’s Explosive Growth Makes It a Priority
The acquisition comes at a time when Solana’s decentralized exchange (DEX) volumes have surpassed 1 trillion dollars in 2025. Increased institutional activity, memecoin surges and retail interest have made Solana a critical ecosystem for on-chain trading. Coinbase appears determined not to be left behind.
With Vector’s tech, Coinbase plans to:
- Speed up token routing across Solana DEXs for better execution quality.
- Improve support for newly launched Solana assets, offering users early access to trending tokens.
- Simplify liquidity access by integrating Solana-native pools into its existing systems.
- Reduce fragmentation by consolidating DEX interfaces under Coinbase’s platform.
Vice President of Product Max Branzburg said:
No Affiliation with Tensor NFT Marketplace
While Vector was originally launched by the same team behind the Tensor NFT marketplace, Coinbase clarified that it will not be acquiring or affiliating with the Tensor Foundation or its Solana-based token TNSR. Tensor Foundation will retain full independence.
Interestingly, TNSR token saw a 300 percent surge earlier in the week, which sparked speculation about insider trading. Despite this price jump, TNSR remains 91 percent below its all-time high of 2.28 dollars. Following the deal, unvested TNSR tokens held by Tensor Labs and its founders, roughly 22 percent of total supply will be burned, and additional tokens have been relocked for three more years.
CoinLaw’s Takeaway
In my experience, what Coinbase is doing here is smart and timely. Solana is no longer a niche experiment. It’s becoming a serious competitor in the high-speed on-chain trading world. By bringing in Vector’s specialized tools and team, Coinbase is positioning itself to offer DEX-level speed and efficiency within its trusted platform. That’s a win for both retail traders and institutions looking to dive deeper into Solana without dealing with the chaos of multiple apps.
This isn’t just another acquisition. It’s Coinbase declaring that on-chain trading is no longer optional. It’s the future, and they want to lead the way.
