Coinbase expands to stocks, prediction markets and more

Coinbase Global is broadening its platform beyond cryptocurrencies, introducing stock trading, prediction markets and AI-driven tools to position itself as the 'Everything Exchange.' The company aims to become the leading financial app within five years, according to its chief financial officer. These expansions were announced during a system update stream on December 17, 2025.

U.S.-listed cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced a series of expansions on December 17, 2025, during its System Update stream, aiming to transform into the 'Everything Exchange.' The platform is now offering trading in hundreds of top stocks based on market capitalization and trading volume, with plans to add thousands more stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the coming months. Users can trade these tokenized stocks 24 hours a day, five days a week, with zero commissions, using USD or USDC, all within the main Coinbase app.

The expansions include integration with prediction market provider Kalshi, valued at $11 billion, allowing trades on real-world events such as elections, sports outcomes, collectibles, and economic indicators. Prices for these event contracts are determined by collective trading activity. Coinbase is also simplifying derivatives trading with more than 30 futures and perpetual contracts live in the U.S. across cryptocurrencies, commodities, and equity indices, including BTC, ETH, SOL, and XRP, with hundreds more planned.

Further enhancements involve integrating Solana decentralized exchange aggregator Jupiter for seamless token swaps, and launching Coinbase Business for startups and small businesses in the U.S. and Singapore. This service enables global payments via links and invoices, asset management through Coinbase Advanced, and automated workflows using regulated infrastructure.

A new AI-based wealth management tool, Coinbase Advisor, provides personalized recommendations based on user goals, such as building portfolios or analyzing market news impacts. Additionally, Coinbase's Ethereum layer-2 network Base is now available globally in over 140 countries. The company continues to explore a potential Base token but has no updates.

These moves come amid evolving U.S. regulations, with the Securities and Exchange Commission implicitly approving always-on trading of some tokenized stocks. Coinbase's head of consumer and business products, Max Branzburg, emphasized the focus on tokenizing real-world assets via Coinbase Tokenize, noting, 'Our regulatory rigor puts us in a unique position to lead as the space matures.' Chief financial officer Alesia Haas stated the ambition to become the top financial app in the next five years.

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