Coinbase Expands DeFi Capabilities by Acquiring Sensible Founders

Coinbase has made headlines once again as it completes its seventh acquisition of the year by bringing on board the founders of Sensible. This strategic move aims to strengthen the exchange's consumer user experience (UX) capabilities, which are essential for integrating complex decentralized finance (DeFi) features into its primary platform.

Key Takeaways

Coinbase has acquired Sensible co-founders Jacob Frantz and Zak Salmon to enhance consumer-focused DeFi solutions.
This acquisition marks Coinbase's seventh of 2025, as it seeks to simplify decentralized finance for its users.
Frantz and Salmon will spearhead product teams dedicated to Coinbase's on-chain consumer strategy.
The founders view this move as an enhancement of their original vision, leveraging Coinbase's scale and resources.

In a formal announcement made on September 9, Coinbase confirmed the acqui-hire of Jacob Frantz and Zak Salmon, the duo behind the yield-generating platform Sensible. Established in 2022, Sensible was initially supported by Coinbase's venture arm and Dragonfly. Operations for Sensible are set to wind down in October.

Frantz and Salmon will take charge of significant product teams at Coinbase, focusing on the company’s on-chain consumer strategy. This initiative directly aims to make decentralized finance more accessible to a wider audience. The acquisition aligns with Coinbase's broader efforts throughout 2025 to expand its capabilities by integrating teams from Deribit, Spindl, and Iron Fish.

Bringing Frantz and Salmon into the Coinbase fold is more than just a boost in technical expertise; it introduces substantial experience in crafting DeFi products tailored for everyday consumers. Sensible was known for creating user-friendly applications that merged staking rewards with decentralized finance protocols.

Within Coinbase, the newly acquired founders will lead teams concentrating on the on-chain consumer strategy, which is a vital part of the company's ambition to evolve into an “everything exchange.” This means providing users the ability to trade, borrow, stake, and spend various assets from one cohesive platform.

In their announcement, Frantz and Salmon emphasized that this transition is not merely a conclusion, but a step forward in their mission. They highlighted a strong synergy with Coinbase's resources, suggesting that collaborating within a larger framework will enable them to fulfill their vision of making cryptocurrency more usable.

“When we connected with the team at Coinbase — initially Aklil Ibssa, Max Branzburg, and Ben Shen — we discovered a shared goal. The opportunity to realize our vision alongside such a talented group was irresistible,” they shared.

Before starting Sensible, Frantz and Salmon explored various tools aimed at helping creators monetize their work and developing applications for crypto enthusiasts to manage trades more effectively. They transitioned to Sensible recognizing a blend of technological advancements and a shift in consumer interests, moving away from speculative trading towards long-term asset growth.

Coinbase hires Sensible founders