Coinbase has secured UK regulatory approval to expand beyond crypto, clearing the way to offer derivatives and equities through its platform under a single account.
Summary
- Coinbase has secured UK investment services authorisation to offer derivatives and equities alongside crypto on one platform.
- The approval allows retail users to trade equities while institutional clients gain access to crypto, equity and commodity perpetual futures.
- The UK licence advances Coinbase’s everything exchange strategy as it continues expanding regulated financial services across Europe.
According to a July 7 announcement, the company has received UK authorisation to provide investment services, allowing it to add traditional financial products alongside its existing crypto offerings.
The approval covers institutional and advanced traders seeking access to derivatives, including crypto, equity and commodity perpetual futures, while retail customers will be able to trade equities on Coinbase for the first time.
Coinbase expands regulated financial services in the UK
Within Coinbase’s UK business, the new investment services authorisation will operate alongside its existing e-money licence and crypto registration. The company said the combined regulatory approvals make it one of the most comprehensively regulated crypto firms operating in the UK.
Framing the approval as its largest UK product expansion since entering the market, Coinbase said the licence supports its long-term plan to build an “everything exchange” where users can access multiple financial products through a single login. The company added that stablecoin payments, savings, borrowing, crypto trading, derivatives and equities are expected to sit on the same platform, with tokenised real-world assets planned for the future.
Recent product launches in the UK have already included savings and borrowing services, while the latest approval opens the door for additional investment products under the same regulated entity.
In its latest announcement, Coinbase credited the UK government and the Financial Conduct Authority for developing what it described as a forward-looking regulatory framework for digital finance. The company said strong regulatory standards and innovation can support each other and added that the UK’s regulatory direction influenced its decision to deepen investment in the market.
UK approval follows Coinbase’s regulatory push across Europe
Outside the UK, Coinbase has continued expanding regulated operations across Europe. As previously reported by crypto.news, the exchange used its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) licence to attract users before the European Union’s July 1 compliance deadline, offering a 5% transfer bonus to customers moving funds from competing platforms.
The promotion came as Binance adjusted some services for European users after missing the MiCA licensing deadline, while OKX also launched transfer incentives for eligible users. Coinbase positioned its regulated status as a key selling point during that period.
Returning to the UK, Coinbase cited research from the Financial Conduct Authority showing that around seven million UK adults already own crypto. The company also pointed to FCA findings that roughly one quarter of people who do not currently hold crypto would be more willing to participate if the industry operated under a clear regulatory framework.
Although the UK’s full crypto regulatory regime is scheduled to take effect in October 2027, Coinbase said the latest licence allows customers to access regulated investment products without waiting for those rules to be fully implemented.
The investment services approval adds another piece to Coinbase’s long-term strategy of combining traditional and digital financial products on one platform.
Earlier this month, crypto.news reported that the company was expanding prediction markets through its partnership with Kalshi and had linked those products to its vision of an integrated trading platform covering crypto, stocks, derivatives and tokenised assets.
