Coinbase wins UK license to offer equities and derivatives

Coinbase received authorization from the UK Financial Conduct Authority to provide investment services in the United Kingdom, the company announced on Tuesday. The permission allows retail customers in the UK to trade equities on Coinbase and gives institutional and advanced traders access to perpetual futures on crypto, equities and commodities.

The firm described the authorization as the largest expansion of its UK product suite since it entered the market. The new permissions sit alongside Coinbase’s existing UK e-money license and its crypto registration.

Coinbase framed the authorization as part of a plan to build a single platform offering stablecoin payments, savings, borrowing, crypto, derivatives and equities, with tokenized real-world assets planned for future rollout.

In a statement, Coinbase wrote, “We believe crypto is the foundational architecture of the modern financial system, and the gap between traditional and digital finance is closing fast. The UK is now one of the first markets where users will see what that convergence actually looks like.”

The company pointed to Financial Conduct Authority research showing about 7 million UK adults currently hold crypto and that roughly a quarter of non-holders said they would be more likely to participate if the sector operated under clearer rules.

The authorization takes effect as the UK moves toward a full crypto regulatory regime scheduled to come into force in October 2027. The expanded permissions allow Coinbase to offer a broader set of regulated investment products to both institutional and retail customers in the UK.

The company said the new permissions will enable more comprehensive services for customers and form part of its ongoing regulatory engagement in major financial centers.