Coinbase has obtained a UK investment services authorization, allowing the crypto exchange to prepare a broader product lineup for users in the country.
The company said in a Tuesday announcement that the approval will allow it to offer traditional financial instruments alongside crypto on one platform, subject to product rules and regulatory requirements. Coinbase described the approval as its largest UK product expansion since entering the market.
Under the new authorization, the company said institutional and advanced traders will gain access to derivatives, including crypto, equity and commodity perpetual futures. Retail users will also be able to trade equities on Coinbase for the first time. The company said the license sits within its UK entity, alongside its e-money license and crypto registration.
Coinbase moves closer to its everything exchange plan
The approval supports Coinbase’s plan to bring more financial products into one app. The company said UK users often manage separate accounts for banking, brokerage services, savings and crypto wallets. The company wants to reduce that split by offering crypto, stablecoin payments, savings, borrowing, derivatives and equities through one login.
Coinbase UK CEO Keith Grose said the authorization helps bring the company’s “everything exchange” plan to life. However, the rollout will still depend on regulatory permissions and UK market rules. The company also said tokenized real-world assets may be added later, but it did not give a launch date for those products.
As reported by The Coin Headlines last month, Coinbase unveiled a broader “System Update” that included an SEC-registered AI investment advisor, tokenized stocks, options trading and AI agents that can trade under user-set limits.
That earlier update also framed Coinbase’s strategy around a single platform for crypto, stocks, derivatives and other financial services.
FCA rules still limit retail crypto derivatives
The new UK license does not mean every Coinbase product will be open to every user. UK retail access to crypto derivatives remains restricted under FCA rules. The FCA banned the sale, marketing and distribution of derivatives and exchange-traded notes that reference certain crypto assets to retail clients in January 2021.
The FCA later reopened retail access to certain crypto exchange-traded notes, known as cETNs, but only under strict conditions. These products must trade on an FCA-approved, UK-based Recognised Investment Exchange, and firms must follow financial promotion rules. At the same time, the FCA said its ban on retail access to cryptoasset derivatives remains in place.
That difference explains Coinbase’s product split in the UK. Institutional and advanced users can access derivatives if they meet eligibility and suitability checks, while retail users are set to receive equities access. Coinbase did not say retail users would receive access to crypto derivatives under the new authorization.
UK crypto rules are still being built
The license also arrives before the UK’s broader crypto regime starts. The FCA said the new regime is expected to come into force on Oct. 25, 2027. Under that framework, crypto firms carrying out newly regulated activities in the UK will need FCA authorization under the Financial Services and Markets Act.
The FCA said it published final rules and guidance on June 30, 2026, for firms that receive permission to operate under the new regime. It also said crypto assets remain high-risk investments, even under a more complete rulebook. The regulator has continued to warn users that they could lose all the money they invest in crypto products.
Coinbase cited FCA research showing that around 7 million UK adults already hold crypto. The company also said a quarter of non-holders would be more likely to participate if the sector were properly regulated. Coinbase said the new authorization gives both crypto users and newcomers access to regulated traditional investments before the full UK crypto regime takes effect.
Meanwhile, the timing places Coinbase in a market where regulators are still trying to balance access and consumer protection. The FCA did not comment before publication, according to the report. For now, the license gives Coinbase room to broaden its UK product base while retail crypto derivatives stay outside the permitted retail offering.
Regulated investment products are also gaining attention in the ETF market, as we reported in June. Morgan Stanley filed amended documents for Ether and Solana ETFs with planned fees of 0.14 percent, while Coinbase Canada was named among firms expected to provide staking services for the products.
The UK approval adds another example of crypto firms and traditional market products moving closer under regulated structures.
