worldcoinindex.com
Coinbase is making a decisive move beyond cryptocurrencies, unveiling plans to let U.S. users trade traditional stocks and ETFs alongside digital assets. The announcement came during a livestreamed product showcase that outlined one of the company’s most ambitious platform expansions to date.
Positioning itself as a commission-free brokerage, Coinbase said it will roll out access to thousands of equities and exchange-traded funds over the coming months, with trading available five days a week. Looking further ahead, the exchange also plans to launch stock-linked perpetual futures for non-U.S. customers in 2026, further blurring the line between crypto-native and traditional financial products.
At the center of the strategy is tokenization. Coinbase executives described plans to enable institutions to convert real-world assets into blockchain-based representations, with retail access to tokenized stocks targeted as early as next quarter. These tokenized shares would be designed to move across blockchains and applications while the underlying securities remain securely custodied, and would be compatible from day one with Circle’s USDC stablecoin.
The timeline, however, remains tied to regulatory clarity in the United States. Coinbase acknowledged that progress depends heavily on guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission, noting that recent government disruptions have slowed momentum.
Beyond equities, the company is also expanding into prediction markets, signaling support for platforms competing with Polymarket and leaving the door open to additional integrations. Coinbase is simultaneously deepening its derivatives offering, confirming that U.S. users will soon be able to trade crypto perpetual futures, building on earlier launches tied to Bitcoin and Ethereum.
On the decentralized finance front, Coinbase users can now trade any asset listed on Solana-based decentralized exchanges directly within the main Coinbase app. This follows earlier integrations with Base, the company’s Ethereum layer-2 network, and marks a step toward making millions of onchain assets accessible without leaving Coinbase’s ecosystem.
The update also highlights the growing role of Coinbase’s rebranded self-custody wallet, now called the Base app, which has expanded to 140 countries. The app blends trading, social features, games, and earning tools into a single interface.
Rounding out the overhaul, Coinbase introduced an AI-powered wealth assistant designed to help users build portfolios and interpret market news—underscoring the company’s ambition to evolve from a crypto exchange into a unified investing hub.