Coinbase has received UK authorisation to provide investment services, allowing the cryptocurrency exchange to expand beyond digital assets and offer traditional financial products in the country.

The company said the approval was granted to its UK entity, which already holds an e-money licence and crypto registration.

The move follows Coinbase's expansion into regulated derivatives in Europe. In March, the company launched over-the-counter crypto and equity-index derivatives across 26 European countries under its Cyprus MiFID II licence. That marked its first regulated derivatives offering following the acquisition of BUX Cyprus.

Coinbase Adds Equities, Derivatives for UK Traders

According to Coinbase, the approval allows institutional and advanced traders to access derivatives, including crypto, equity and commodity perpetual futures. Retail customers in the UK will also be able to trade equities on the platform for the first time.

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The company said the approval is more than a regulatory milestone because it "changes what UK users can do on Coinbase."

Research by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority found that around seven million UK adults hold cryptoassets. It also found that a quarter of people who do not own crypto would be more likely to participate if the sector were properly regulated.

Today marks our biggest ever expansion of Coinbase UK's product suite.

We've now secured an investment services authorisation in the UK, enabling us to soon offer both equities and derivatives.

Another step to bringing the everything exchange worldwide. pic.twitter.com/sns3IGRHHM

— Coinbase 🛡️ (@coinbase) July 7, 2026

Expanding Toward Unified Finance Platform

Coinbase said it expects the UK's broader crypto regulatory regime, scheduled to take effect in October 2027, to encourage wider adoption. However, it said the licence allows UK customers to access traditional investment products before those rules come into force.

The company said it plans to bring multiple financial services together on one platform. Alongside crypto trading, it intends to offer equities, derivatives, stablecoin payments, savings and borrowing products, with tokenised real-world assets planned for the future.

Coinbase has already introduced savings and borrowing products in the UK in recent months. It said the new authorisation "unlocks the next chapter" of its expansion in the country.