Coinbase Obtains MiFID License in the United Kingdom

Coinbase has been granted UK authorisation to provide investment services, clearing the way for the exchange to offer traditional financial products alongside crypto in the UK. The company announced the move on July 7, 2026, describing it as the largest expansion of its UK product suite since entering the market.

The authorisation sits within Coinbase's UK entity alongside its existing e-money licence and crypto registration. Institutional and advanced traders will gain access to derivatives, including perpetual futures on crypto, equities and commodities. Retail users in the UK will, for the first time, be able to trade equities on Coinbase.

The company cited FCA research indicating that around 7 million UK adults already hold crypto and that a quarter of non-holders would be more likely to participate if the sector were properly regulated. The UK's full crypto regime is expected to take effect in October 2027, but Coinbase says the new licence lets UK users benefit from regulated traditional investment access before then.

Coinbase said the authorisation supports its "everything exchange" vision: one platform and one login spanning stablecoin payments, savings, borrowing, crypto and now derivatives and equities, with tokenised real-world assets planned. The company recently launched savings and borrow products in the UK, and it described this licence as unlocking the next chapter of that offering.

The exchange credited the UK government and the FCA for building a pro-growth digital finance framework, arguing that robust regulatory guardrails and innovation reinforce each other. Coinbase also said the UK is among the first markets where users will see the convergence of traditional and digital finance take shape.