Coinbase Wins U.K. Approval to Add Equities and Derivatives

Coinbase has received U.K. regulatory authorization to offer equities and derivatives alongside crypto, expanding what it can provide in one of its largest international markets. The approval allows the Nasdaq-listed exchange to broaden its product set beyond digital assets.

The development matters because it gives Coinbase a regulated path to compete across a wider range of financial products, not just crypto trading. For U.K. users, it also signals that major crypto platforms are moving closer to traditional brokerage-style services as regulatory frameworks continue to develop.

According to Coinbase, the license will let institutional and advanced traders access crypto, equity and commodity perpetual futures. Retail customers in the U.K. will also be able to trade equities on Coinbase for the first time.

The authorization adds to Coinbase’s existing U.K. e-money license and crypto registration. The company received U.K. cryptoasset registration from the Financial Conduct Authority in February last year, enabling it to provide crypto and fiat services in the country.

Coinbase has been expanding similar products outside the U.K. U.S. users already have access to stock and ETF trading, while eligible non-U.S. customers can trade USDC-settled stock perpetual futures tied to large-cap names such as Apple, Microsoft and Tesla. The company has also said it plans to offer tokenized stocks backed one-for-one by U.S. equities to eligible non-U.S. users.

The U.K. approval fits into Coinbase’s stated ambition to become an “Everything Exchange,” with stocks, crypto derivatives, tokenized products, prediction markets and consumer finance products. The country’s full crypto framework is expected to take effect in October 2027, and the new authorization gives Coinbase room to expand before then.