Coinbase, listed on Nasdaq, has obtained United Kingdom regulatory approval to provide equities and derivatives in addition to cryptocurrency, thereby broadening its product offering in one of its key international markets.
The newly granted license permits institutional investors and sophisticated traders to access cryptocurrency, equity, and commodity perpetual futures, according to Coinbase’s blog post. Additionally, retail customers in the United Kingdom will now be able to trade equities on the Coinbase platform for the first time.
This authorization complements Coinbase’s existing U.K. e‑money license and its cryptoasset registration. The firm secured Financial Conduct Authority cryptoasset registration in February of the previous year, enabling it to offer both cryptocurrency and fiat services within the United Kingdom.
U.K. users now gain access to products that Coinbase has previously launched in other regions. While U.S. customers already can trade stocks and exchange‑traded funds, eligible non‑U.S. clients are able to trade USDC‑settled perpetual futures on major equities such as Apple, Microsoft, and Tesla.
Coinbase also intends to introduce tokenized stocks that are fully backed one‑for‑one by U.S. equities, targeted at eligible non‑U.S. customers. These offerings are designed to provide investors with ownership of the underlying shares, including dividend payments.