Coinbase 'doubles down' on Solana with latest DEX acquisition

US-based crypto giant Coinbase is going all-in on Solana — they just scooped up Vector, a Solana-based DEX, in their latest 2025 power move.

In their Friday blog drop, Coinbase straight-up said this Vector acquisition is part of their master plan to become the ultimate "everything exchange." No price tag was revealed (classic), but they promised it'll boost "DEX trading integration" — basically making it easier to trade anything, anywhere.

This Vector grab is just the latest in Coinbase's 2025 shopping spree — they've already bagged blockchain ad platform Spindle, browser Roam, Liquifi, options trading platform Deribit, and crowdfunding platform Echo. Some deals were multi-million, others hit the billion-dollar mark.

Meanwhile, Coinbase is still waiting on the OCC to approve their National Trust Company Charter application — and banks are fighting it hard, claiming Coinbase is messing with "untested" crypto custody rules.

While Coinbase is out here acquiring everything, other US crypto players are gearing up to challenge their throne via IPOs.

In the last two weeks alone, Grayscale Investments and Kraken both dropped confidential filings to go public on US markets. Coinbase was one of the OGs with their 2021 IPO.

Gemini (run by the Winklevoss twins) already hit the Nasdaq in September, and crypto exchange/media hybrid Bullish went public on the NYSE back in August. The race is on.