Coinbase Secures UK License to Expand Into Equities and Derivatives

Coinbase secured UK authorization under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive on July 7, 2026, allowing the US-listed exchange to expand beyond spot crypto trading into regulated investment services. The approval is strategically important because the Financial Conduct Authority has barred the sale of crypto derivatives to retail consumers since 2021, leaving professional clients as the addressable market. The move also advances Coinbase’s push to build an “Everything Exchange” and broaden fee revenue beyond the more cyclical spot business.

Coinbase opened the service to qualifying UK professional investors on Aug. 11, offering futures, perpetual contracts and options across cryptocurrencies, commodities, equities and foreign exchange. The initial lineup spans more than 170 contracts, with leverage of as much as 50 times on selected crypto perpetuals. Trading is not available to UK retail customers. The launch follows the July authorization and gives institutional and sophisticated investors access to a wider derivatives suite through Coinbase’s regulated framework.

Coinbase is expanding beyond crypto into traditional securities as it pursues its “Everything Exchange” strategy, which aims to bring digital assets, equities and eventually tokenized products under one account. The UK is a key overseas market for the U.S.-listed exchange, and adding cash equities deepens its effort to connect conventional finance with onchain markets while putting it into more direct competition with retail brokerages and multi-asset trading platforms.

Beginning Aug. 6, 2026, Coinbase started progressively rolling out access for UK customers to nearly 4,000 U.S. stocks. The service offers commission-free trading 24 hours a day, five days a week, fractional shares from £1, and funding in pounds or USDC. The launch follows Coinbase’s July 7 UK investment-services authorization, which opened the door to equities and derivatives. Bitcoin traded near $65,000 as the rollout was reported.

Coinbase entered Australia in 2016, established Coinbase Australia in 2022 and registered with AUSTRAC. On April 1, 2026, Australia’s parliament passed legislation establishing a digital asset framework that subjects trading platforms to financial services licensing and consumer protection rules, making compliance capabilities a key competitive factor.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission issued Coinbase Australia AFSL No. 569752 on April 2, 2026, and Coinbase announced the approval on April 7. It became the first crypto exchange to directly secure authorization to offer retail derivatives. The company will initially offer perpetual contracts on cryptocurrencies and stocks, with plans to expand into futures, options, stock trading and payment services.

Coinbase has historically focused on cryptocurrency trading, leaving its revenue closely tied to conditions in the bitcoin market. In late 2025, the company unveiled its “Everything Exchange” strategy, which aims to combine crypto assets, stocks, derivatives and onchain financial services in a single account. Entering the US equity market could diversify its revenue and put it in more direct competition with retail brokerages such as Robinhood.

On February 24, 2026, Coinbase made stock and ETF trading fully available to US users, initially covering more than 8,000 securities. The service supports trading 24 hours a day, five days a week, with zero commissions on eligible securities. Users can instantly fund their accounts with US dollars or USDC and buy fractional shares for as little as $1. Coinbase also partnered with Yahoo Finance to integrate market data and one-click order placement.