Here’s a detailed ~900‑word summary rephrasing the key points from Investopedia and related sources, synthesizing what really happened to Coinbase Pro — all written in my own words and with proper attribution:

1. From GDAX to Coinbase Pro → Advanced Trade

Originally the platform was launched in 2018 as GDAX (“Global Digital Asset Exchange”), aimed at professional and technically oriented crypto traders. It offered full order book access, lower volume‑based fees, and a more sophisticated interface than Coinbase’s standard platform FortuneBuilders+13Investopedia+13Investopedia+13Coinbase+3Investopedia+3CoinMarketCap+3.

Later, GDAX was rebranded as Coinbase Pro, preserving its advanced tools and pricing model for active traders. Meanwhile, Coinbase’s main consumer app added more features—staking support, borrowing options, decentralized app wallet access, and Coinbase Card—to broaden its appeal CoinMarketCap+4Investopedia+4Finance Magnates+4.

2. Why Did Coinbase Decide to Shut It Down?

In mid‑2022, Coinbase determined that maintaining two separate platforms—Coinbase.com and Coinbase Pro—created unnecessary friction. Many users would move funds between the two platforms to access lower fees or advanced tools. To simplify and unify the experience, Coinbase began migrating functionality into a single interface within Coinbase.com and the mobile app CoinbaseDecryptLeapRate.

The goal: let users access advanced trading and retail functionality from one unified Coinbase account—no more toggling or transferring funds between platforms Reddit+11Coinbase+11Cointelegraph+11.

3. Introducing “Advanced Trade”

The replacement was branded “Coinbase Advanced Trade”, a new section accessible from the standard Coinbase menu labeled “Advanced.” It launched gradually during 2022 and 2023, bringing over all Coinbase Pro features—order types, trading fees, charts, order books—plus new functionality like staking rewards, deeper technical indicators, and additional coin pairs NerdWallet+3Investopedia+3Reddit+3.

Coinbase committed to maintaining the same volume‑based fee structure familiar from Coinbase Pro: fee tiers ranged from approximately 0.6 % down to 0.2 %, depending on volume and maker/taker status NerdWallet+1Cointelegraph+1.

Advanced Trade also added features unavailable in the legacy Pro platform—including staking USDC or Ethereum directly in the interface, visual charting tools powered by TradingView, and reward‑earning options like Coinbase Card integrations Investopedia.

4. The Official Shutdown Timeline

On June 22, 2022, Coinbase published a blog post announcing that Coinbase Pro would be phased out starting November 20, 2023. After that date, users could no longer log into the standalone Coinbase Pro site or mobile app—attempts to do so redirected to the Advanced Trade interface Coinbase+1Decrypt+1.

The migration was phased: first enabling Advanced Trade on web, then on mobile, finally closing down Pro entirely by late 2023 LeapRate.

5. What Happened to Users and Their Funds?

Users holding balances on Coinbase Pro did not lose access to assets. All balances and transaction history were automatically migrated into their main Coinbase accounts. No action was required by users; deposits, trading history, and account funds remained intact and visible via Coinbase.com’s statement pages or the app CoinbaseReddit.

6. Feature Comparison: Coinbase Pro vs Advanced Trade

Feature / PlatformCoinbase Pro (legacy)Advanced Trade (current)Advanced charting & toolsBasic set; external tools requiredIntegrated charts (MACD, RSI, Bollinger Bands via TradingView) InvestopediaOrder typesMaker–taker, limit/marketSame order types supportedNumber of trading pairs250+Over 500 pairs availableFee structureVolume-based (0–0.6 %)Same volume-based fees appliedStaking & rewardsNot supportedSupports staking, USDC interest, Coinbase Card rewardsUnified platformSeparate app and siteFully integrated into main Coinbase experience

Advanced Trade consolidates both Coinbase Pro’s professional trading interface and Coinbase.com’s retail features—removing the need for separate logins, balance transfers, or platform switching InvestopediaCoinbase.

7. FAQs and User Experience

Is Advanced Trade really the same as Coinbase Pro? Yes. It preserves all the core mechanics—advanced order types, maker/taker fee model, deep order book access and data—while adding new tools and features.

Are the fees still lower? Absolutely. Advanced Trade continues Coinbase Pro’s volume-based fee model, so high-volume traders still enjoy the benefits they expect NerdWalletReddit.

What about transaction history or past trades? Users can still view their Coinbase Pro history via Coinbase.com under account statements. The Pro portal is no longer active, but history remains accessible CoinbaseReddit.

Do I need a separate account? No. There’s one Coinbase account; you toggle into the Advanced Trade environment from within the main interface.

What about new users? New users simply sign up via Coinbase.com or the mobile app and can immediately toggle into Advanced Trade from the Trade menu—even if they’ve never used Coinbase Pro before InvestopediaCoinbase.

8. Bottom Line (as Investopedia Put It)

Investopedia’s "What Happened to Coinbase Pro?" article (updated February 2025) emphasizes:

• Coinbase Pro was replaced by Coinbase Advanced Trade in 2022.
• Advanced Trade serves the same target users—pro and experienced traders—while merging broader Coinbase features into one platform.
• The change simplified user experience, eliminated friction around transferring funds between two platforms, and preserved Pro’s low‑fee structure while expanding services Investopedia+1Investopedia+1.

9. Broader Context & Recent Developments

While Coinbase Pro’s decommission was executed ahead of 2024, the story of Coinbase continues:

• In May 2025, Coinbase faced a major data breach extortion attempt impacting under 1% of customer data—refusing to pay the ransom and responding with a $20 million bounty offer. The incident may cost the company up to $400 million in total ♪ en.wikipedia.org.
• Coinbase also acquired Deribit (a crypto derivatives exchange) in early 2025 for approximately $2.9 billion, increasing its focus on complex products, while becoming the first crypto-native company to enter the S&P 500 index in May 2025 en.wikipedia.orgInvestopedia.
• Regulatory clarity in the U.S. is improving: the SEC recently dropped its 2023 enforcement case against Coinbase, signaling a potential shift to more explicit rule‑making via legislation (such as the proposed GENIUS and Clarity legislation) rather than broad enforcement actions washingtonpost.com+1investors.com+1.

These strategic shifts underscore Coinbase's transition from a home-grown crypto exchange into an evolving, broader “Everything Exchange” with deeper integration into traditional finance.

In Summary:

• Coinbase Pro launched in 2018, evolved from GDAX.
• In 2022 Coinbase announced it would be phased out in favor of Coinbase Advanced Trade.
• By November 20, 2023, the Pro platform was fully decommissioned and users were seamlessly transitioned.
• Advanced Trade offers the same low fees and pro-level features, plus staking, charting tools, and unified access.
• User funds and history were retained and fully accessible via the main Coinbase platform.
• The move simplified Coinbase’s ecosystem, removing dual‑platform friction while preserving power-user benefits.