Senior Counsel

Base is planning to bring a million developers and a billion users onchain. We need your help to make that happen. We are seeking an exceptional attorney to join our Product Legal team, dedicated to supporting the Coinbase incubated Base Layer 2 blockchain. In this pivotal role, you will navigate complex, first-of-a-kind blockchain and Base related product initiatives. Your responsibilities will extend across the Base L2 ecosystem, from operational support to ensuring seamless integration and compliance of Coinbase integrated products and base-native products. Collaborating closely with other members of the Coinbase legal team, you will tackle a wide array of challenging matters that influence the landscape of blockchain technology and innovation. What you’ll be doing (ie. job duties): As Base specific product legal counsel, you will help build the legal foundation to support Base’s onchain mission and strategy. Play a pivotal role in the grants ecosystem by overseeing legal processes related to funding and supporting innovative projects within the Base ecosystem. Facilitate the integration of both Coinbase and third party services and products in the Base ecosystem, ensuring they adhere to legal standards and regulatory expectations. This includes conducting due diligence, drafting compliance policies, and providing guidance on risk management related to Base product integration. Be a business partner, not just an attorney. Provide full product life-cycle counseling. Look around corners and creatively solve problems for the business as they plan, build, and execute on their product roadmap. Identify issues that may fall outside your expertise, driving resolution by partnering with other members of the Coinbase legal team and outside counsel. Work cross-departmentally, including with stakeholders such as Compliance, Communications, Finance, Tax, Security, Enterprise Risk Management, Engineering, Data, Analytics, Corporate Development, and members of Coinbase’s leadership team. Respond promptly to a wide range of complex legal requests and coordinate closely with Legal department colleagues to ensure the swift delivery of smart, practical advice. Operate in a fast paced, demanding environment and pivot quickly to meet leadership's needs. Scale the advice you provide, so that you can do more with less and grow efficiently with the business. What we look for in you (ie. job requirements): Currently licensed in a U.S. state. J.D. or equivalent, minimum of 5 years of legal experience You have strong, substantive practice and practical experience working in crypto / web3 / defi / protocols / blockchain You have Financial technology experience preferred but not required You have experience counseling product teams in launching consumer or developer-facing technology products and services You have a strong interest or experience in digital currency, blockchain technology, and innovative constructs pioneered by decentralized finance. You have an understanding of the legal and regulatory considerations affecting crypto protocols and onchain products, including how decentralized architectures and onchain workflows impact product design and governance. You have experience with build-outs to support Anti Money Laundering (AML)/Know-your-customer (KYC) requirements, and regulated e-money and money transmission obligations under banking laws. You have proven problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills. You exercise excellent legal judgment with analytic rigor, prudential risk assessment, and a balance of realizable creativity and pragmatism. You are comfortable with risk-adjusted thinking, and can understand when interpretive flexibility is warranted. You are team-oriented and collaborative, you bring cross-departmental colleagues to the table, and build your practice to enable your clients to successfully build and launch crypto products at Coinbase. Nice to haves: Technology/engineering background (Bachelors of science) Experience working with protocols, rollups, Layer2s (bitcoin core team, ethereum foundation, polygon, solana, optimism Req #: P75838 #LI-Remote Pay Transparency Notice : Depending on your work location, the target annual base salary for this position can range as detailed below. Full time offers from Coinbase also include bonus eligibility + equity eligibility + benefits (including medical, dental, vision and 401(k)). Base salary range shown. Total compensation also includes equity and bonus eligibility and benefits: $224,995 — $264,700 USD Please be advised that each candidate may submit a maximum of four applications within any 30-day period. We encourage you to carefully evaluate how your skills and interests align with Coinbase's roles before applying. Commitment to Equal Opportunity Coinbase is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by applicable law. Coinbase will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. For US applicants, you may view the Employee Rights and the Know Your Rights notices by clicking on their corresponding links. Additionally, Coinbase participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law. Coinbase is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please contact us at accommodations[at]coinbase.com to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. For quick access to screen reading technology compatible with this site click here to download a free compatible screen reader (free step by step tutorial can be found here) . Global Data Privacy Notice for Job Candidates and Applicants Depending on your location, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) may regulate the way we manage the data of job applicants. Our full notice outlining how data will be processed as part of the application procedure for applicable locations is available here . By submitting your application, you are agreeing to our use and processing of your data as required. For US applicants only, by submitting your application you are agreeing to arbitration of disputes as outlined here. AI Disclosure For select roles, Coinbase is piloting an AI tool based on machine learning technologies to conduct initial screening interviews to qualified applicants. The tool simulates realistic interview scenarios and engages in dynamic conversation. A human recruiter will review your interview responses, provided in the form of a voice recording and/or transcript, to assess them against the qualifications and characteristics outlined in the job description. For select roles, Coinbase is also piloting an AI interview intelligence platform to transcribe and summarize interview notes, allowing our interviewers to fully focus on you as the candidate. The above pilots are for testing purposes and Coinbase will not use AI to make decisions impacting employment . To request a reasonable accommodation due to disability, please contact accommodations[at]coinbase.com.