- The MiFID license allows Coinbase to legally operate in the traditional financial markets.
- The company can now offer products like stocks, derivatives, futures, options, and more.
- Coinbase praised the UK and the FCA for creating a better regulatory environment.
Coinbase announced it had obtained a UK investment services authorization (MiFID license), which allows it to expand beyond crypto and offer traditional financial products, including equities and derivatives, to UK customers. With the new license, Coinbase customers can access both crypto and regular investments on one platform.
MiFID (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive) is a key set of rules for investment services in Europe and the UK. With a MiFID license, regulated firms can offer products like stocks, derivatives, futures, options, commodities, and other investment tools.
Previously, Coinbase’s UK operations were mostly about crypto. Now, with this license, it can go head‑to‑head with traditional online brokerages, instead of functioning solely as a cryptocurrency exchange.
Why the UK?
Coinbase specifically praised the UK government and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for creating a better regulatory environment. It says the UK is worthy of attention and commitment thanks to its strong fintech scene and growing regulatory clarity around digital assets.
The company added that the UK’s comprehensive crypto framework is set for October 2027, but the new license lets it start offering more services to UK users ahead of that.
This announcement follows Coinbase’s earlier regulatory wins, as the company already had FCA crypto registration and a UK e‑money license. Now with the MiFID license, all three are under one UK umbrella, making Coinbase one of the best-regulated crypto firms in the country.
According to FCA research cited by Coinbase, around 7 million UK adults already own crypto, and roughly one-quarter of non-holders say they would be more likely to invest if the industry had clearer regulation.
Futures and the Open USD Initiative
Outside of the UK, one of Coinbase’s biggest announcements this year (so far) was the launch of CFTC-regulated perpetual futures for US traders.
Unlike traditional crypto perpetuals, these contracts track perpetual futures linked to AI companies, China’s equity market, defense stocks, and the Nasdaq-100, rather than individual cryptocurrencies.
Additionally, on June 30, Coinbase teamed up with Visa, Mastercard, Stripe, Google, BlackRock, Ripple, and over 140 other firms to launch Open USD, a new dollar‑pegged stablecoin. Unlike many existing stablecoins, Open USD is built as an open infrastructure for businesses, meaning there are zero fees to mint or redeem, and reserve earnings are split among the companies involved.
Related: Coinbase Moves Into Tokenized Equities With Dividend Payments
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