Coinbase Gains UK’s Permission to Offer Investment Services

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase said it has won authorization to provide investment services in the U.K.

“In plain terms: we can now offer traditional financial instruments, not just crypto,” the company said in its announcement Tuesday (July 7). “This is not an abstract regulatory milestone. It changes what U.K. users can do on Coinbase.”

The new authorization will give institutional and advanced traders access to derivatives, including crypto, equity and commodity perpetual futures, the announcement added, while retail users will be able to trade equities on Coinbase for the first time.

Coinbase has already received an eMoney license in the U.K. as well as crypto registration, and argues this new approval affirms its standing “as the most comprehensively regulated crypto player in the market.”

The company also pointed to research from the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) showing that roughly 7 million British adults already hold crypto, with 25% of non-holders saying they would be more likely to participate if the industry were properly regulated. “We look forward to October 2027, when the U.K.’s full crypto regime takes effect and that becomes a reality,” the company added. “But this licence means U.K. users don’t have to wait to benefit. It gives both crypto holders and newcomers regulated access to traditional investments today, on a platform millions of Britons already trust to invest, save and trade.”

The announcement added that the FCA and British government have been forward-thinking in their approach to digital finance, offering “clear, robust guardrails” for mainstream institutions and everyday users.

“We chose to deepen our commitment to the U.K. because the U.K. made itself worth committing to,” Coinbase added.

The approval follows Coinbase’s announcement in February that it had begun offering stock trading to everyone in the United States, permitting its users to trade stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) along with the crypto the platform already handled.

This move is part of the company’s vision for an “Everything Exchange” that encompasses all asset classes, something company officials have said is central to Coinbase’s narrative.

“The concept combines three layers of activity: trading, financial services and applications,” PYMNTS wrote. “The strategy aims to attract users through regulated spot and derivatives markets; retain them with financial utilities such as custody, rewards and lending; and provide infrastructure and developer tools for on-chain applications that can expand overall network demand.”