Crank vs Coinbase AgentKit¶
The main difference is where the key lives. Coinbase AgentKit's flagship wallet option is a CDP (Coinbase Developer Platform) Server Wallet: keys are generated and used inside Coinbase's Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) — isolated infrastructure Coinbase operates — and an encrypted copy is stored in Coinbase's database. Crank's wallets stay with the owner: value-bearing tools return an unsigned transaction, and the owner's own key — never generated or held by Crank — signs it. Both platforms enforce spending guardrails; they enforce them at different points relative to the key.
Comparison¶
| Dimension | Crank | Coinbase AgentKit |
|---|---|---|
| Custody location | The wallet owner's own wallet. Crank never generates, holds, or has access to a private key. | Primarily CDP Server Wallets: private keys are generated and used inside AWS Nitro Enclaves (Coinbase's TEE) — no persistent storage, no interactive access, not visible to Coinbase or AWS during use. An encrypted copy is stored in Coinbase's database, decryptable only with the developer's Wallet Secret. AgentKit also supports developer-controlled wallets (for example via Viem) as an alternative. |
| Server-enforced guardrails | A wallet policy (max trade size, daily limit, token allowlist/banlist, position limit, drawdown limit, kill switch) is enforced server-side on a wallet the owner controls directly. | A policy engine ("programmable guardrails") is available on the CDP Server Wallet / Agentic Wallets platform: per-token spending allowances, session caps, allowlists, and an activity log. This enforcement is tied to using Coinbase's managed wallet infrastructure. |
| Chain focus | Solana. | Base and Ethereum (EVM) primary; also supports Solana ("all EVM and SVM networks"). |
| Perps / derivatives | Multi-venue adapter (Jupiter Perps primary; additional venues gated behind admin-updatable flags). | Not documented — spot transactions, token swaps, and DeFi lending (for example Compound, Morpho) are covered; no perpetuals or derivatives tools. |
| MCP support | One hosted MCP endpoint (mcp.crank.ing); also exported as OpenAI, Gemini, and LangChain tool definitions from the same registry. |
An official MCP integration/extension is available. |
| Paper / simulate-first trading | Yes — real mainnet quotes, simulated fills, identical tool surface, graduates to live without code changes. | Not documented. |
| Durable agent memory | Private per-wallet decision journal with automatic outcome attribution (realized P&L, fees, slippage) across sessions. | Not documented. |
| License | Proprietary hosted service; MCP protocol is open. | The AgentKit SDK is Apache-2.0, open source. The CDP Server Wallet backend it connects to is a hosted Coinbase service, not open source. |
| Cost | Reads free; a technology service fee applies to value-bearing actions (volume-tiered, per-action floor — see the fee schedule). | Free, open source SDK; CDP platform wallet services are priced separately by Coinbase. |
The short version¶
If a TEE-secured, platform-operated wallet fits your architecture — for example because you want Coinbase's infrastructure to own key lifecycle and you're building primarily on Base or another EVM chain — AgentKit's CDP Server Wallets are a well-documented option with real hardware-backed key isolation. If you want the key to never leave the wallet owner's own hands, on Solana, with guardrails enforced on that same self-custodied wallet and a paper mode to prove the flow first, that is what Crank is built around. See the mechanics: How AI agents trade non-custodially.
Sources¶
- Wallet options, chain support, MCP integration, license:
github.com/coinbase/agentkit— README, checked 2026-07-22. - CDP Server Wallet TEE architecture (AWS Nitro Enclaves, encrypted key storage, Wallet Secret access):
docs.cdp.coinbase.com/server-wallets/v2/introduction/security, checked 2026-07-22. - Policy engine (spending allowances, session caps, allowlists, activity log): Coinbase CDP Agentic Wallets / AgentKit guardrails documentation, checked 2026-07-22.
- Crank custody model, gate stack, venue adapter, fee schedule: this docs site — non-custodial trading guide, authentication & x402, fee schedule.
Comparison reflects Coinbase AgentKit's publicly documented capabilities as of the date above and may change; verify against its current documentation before depending on it. Coinbase AgentKit is a project of Coinbase; its name is used here for identification only, with no affiliation implied. Crank is a non-custodial technology provider, not a broker-dealer or investment adviser; nothing on this page is financial advice.