Coinbase gives EEA users until October 2026 to move out of USDT and other non-MiCA stablecoins

Coinbase has set a firm deadline for users in the European Economic Area to move their holdings out of stablecoins that do not comply with the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, giving them until October 30, 2026 before the exchange automatically converts whatever remains.

The list of affected tokens spans 14 assets: USDT, PAX, PYUSD, GUSD, GYEN, DAI, BUSD, UST, RAI, PAXG, MUSD, USD1, USDS and TGBP. All of them fall foul of MiCA's requirement that stablecoin issuers hold specific authorisations within the bloc, a rule set that moved into full force on July 1, 2026 once the regulation's transitional period expired without further extensions.

Coinbase said that, as a result, "the buying, selling and converting of these assets on Coinbase is restricted" for EEA customers. The exchange added that "withdrawal is the only option available if you wish to continue holding them," pointing users toward external, MiCA-compatible wallets.

What happens after the deadline

Balances still sitting in non-compliant stablecoins after October 30, 2026 will not simply be frozen. Coinbase said it will carry out an "automatic conversion" at the prevailing market rate, moving holdings "into USDC, when appropriate," or, where USDC is not a suitable destination, into "another compatible crypto asset or currency."

The exchange flagged a tax dimension to that process, noting that "converting one crypto asset into another may be a taxable event in some jurisdictions." It stressed that it does not offer tax advice and that users remain "responsible for determining and complying with their tax obligations." Once the automatic conversion has taken place, Coinbase said it "will not reverse a completed conversion."

A warning on incoming transfers

Coinbase also asked users not to route non-compliant assets back into their accounts from elsewhere. "Do not send assets that do not comply with MiCA to your Coinbase account, even from any external wallet," the company said. Any such transfer made after the October deadline "will not be credited to your account or appear in your balance," and the funds "cannot be traded, converted or transferred" once they arrive in that state.

Coinbase said it may attempt to return misdirected funds through a recovery process "when technically possible," but cautioned that this mechanism "does not work for all assets or networks, and recovery is not guaranteed."

The exchange said it runs periodic reviews of which crypto assets it admits in order to stay aligned with its regulatory obligations, and left the door open to reinstating support for any of the 14 stablecoins should their status change: "if a stablecoin comes to comply with MiCA, Coinbase will reassess future support."