Coinbase is significantly expanding the range of tradable assets on its platform to include innovative crypto assets, perpetual contracts, stocks, and prediction markets, starting with integration with prediction market platform Kalshi.

Article by: Ian Allison

Article source: CoinDesk

Article compiled by: Chang

Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN), the U.S.-listed cryptocurrency exchange, is significantly expanding the range of tradable assets on its platform to include new crypto assets, perpetual contracts, stocks, and prediction markets, aiming to further solidify its position as an "Everything Exchange." Coinbase announced this series of product updates during its System Update livestream on Wednesday.

Coinbase stated that the platform will significantly expand its tradable asset classes, including innovative crypto assets, perpetual futures, stocks, and prediction markets. Prediction markets will initially be integrated through the prediction market platform Kalshi, with more partners to be introduced in the future.

In recent years, building a comprehensive "Swiss Army knife" trading platform has become a focal point of competition in the industry. Coinbase's major crypto trading counterparts, such as Robinhood, Kraken, and Gemini, have launched tokenized equity products to users outside the United States and are actively exploring prediction market-related businesses.

According to the official Coinbase blog, the main app will offer a clean trading interface, support futures and perpetual contract trading, instant trading of Solana ecosystem assets after creation, primary token issuance, and the global launch of the Base App.

With the significant relaxation of the U.S. regulatory environment in recent years, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has, to some extent, tacitly approved the 24/7 trading of some tokenized stocks on the blockchain, providing a clearer regulatory space for related innovations.

Stock Trading: One-stop management of encrypted and traditional assets

Max Branzburg, Head of User and Business Products at Coinbase, said the initial list of stocks to be listed may still be subject to change, but it is expected to include hundreds of high-quality stocks with large market capitalization and active trading, with plans to expand to thousands of stocks and ETFs in the coming months.

This feature will simplify portfolio management, allowing users to simultaneously buy, sell, and manage stocks, ETFs, and crypto assets using USD or USDC within the same Coinbase app and account.

In its blog post, Coinbase stated that "traders will enjoy zero-commission trading and will not be restricted by traditional market trading hours, trading core equity assets 24/7, 5 days a week. In the coming months, we plan to launch thousands of additional stocks."

In addition, Coinbase plans to expand the coverage of its Stock Perpetuals early next year, enabling traders outside the United States to access 24/7, more capital-efficient U.S. stock exposure through the app.

The aforementioned setup will be powered by Coinbase Tokenize, Coinbase's newly launched one-stop institutional-grade RWA tokenization platform, which will also provide exchange retail users with access to tokenized shares.

When asked about the specific mechanisms, regulatory status, and relationship with the Central Securities Depository (CSD) for tokenized shares, Branzburg stated, "Our focus is on advancing RWA and tokenized assets. The specific mechanisms are still under development, and more details will be released later. With its stringent compliance capabilities, Coinbase possesses a unique leading edge in the maturing industry."

Prediction markets, perpetual contracts, and Solana DEX integration

Starting with the integration of Kalshi, Coinbase users will be able to trade the outcomes of real-world events, including elections, sporting events, collectibles, and macroeconomic indicators. The price of related contracts will be determined by the collective trading activity of market participants.

Coinbase has also streamlined the derivatives trading process, enabling users to build larger positions with less initial capital and enjoy more attractive tax advantages when trading across crypto assets and commodities.

Branzburg stated, "Currently, we have launched over 30 futures and perpetual contracts in the US, covering multiple asset classes from crypto assets to commodities and stock indices, and plan to gradually expand to hundreds of contracts. As of this week, we have offered perpetual futures contracts for 15 crypto assets, including BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, and more."

In the coming weeks, Coinbase will also expand its decentralized exchange (DEX) integration, adding support for trading Solana ecosystem tokens. The main app will directly integrate Jupiter, a major DEX aggregator in the Solana ecosystem, allowing users to securely complete token swaps without leaving the Coinbase app.

Coinbase Business and AI Wealth Management Tools

In addition, Coinbase Business, a financial platform for startups and SMEs, is now open to all eligible businesses in the US and Singapore. The platform supports global payments, payment links, and invoicing, and allows for the management of crypto assets and automation of financial processes through Coinbase Advanced.

Coinbase also launched Coinbase Advisor, an AI-powered wealth management tool designed to bridge the gap between investment ideas and execution. Coinbase states that high-quality financial guidance should not be a luxury, but rather an inclusive service.

Users can simply describe their goals to the AI or ask questions such as "Help me build an investment portfolio" or "How are the latest market developments affecting me?" to receive personalized suggestions generated based on Coinbase products, data, and tools.

Coinbase's popular Ethereum Layer 2 on-chain network, Base, is now officially launched in more than 140 countries worldwide. Previously, the market speculated whether this product update would involve the release of Base's native token.

In response, Branzburg stated, "We are still exploring the possibility of launching a Base token, but there are no further updates to disclose at this time."