Coinbase Launches CFTC-Regulated Perpetual Futures Trading Platform
– Coinbase has launched its CFTC-regulated perpetual futures platform, enabling U.S. traders with up to 10x leverage.
The launch comes shortly after Kraken introduced its own regulated futures offering. According to Coinbase, its derivatives “dominate 90% of global crypto trading volumes” but were previously “just out of reach” for U.S. customers due to regulatory complexity, which now includes a landmark U.S. crypto law signed by President Trump.
Financial technology consultancy Hex Trust’s Charmaine Tam called Coinbase’s launch “a more secure and compliant alternative to offshore platforms,” addressing a long-standing gap in U.S. crypto markets.
Initial offerings are through Coinbase Financial Markets and include nano Bitcoin and nano Ether perpetual futures. These contracts run for five years, unlike traditional futures that expire monthly, allowing traders to hold positions without rolling contracts. Trading fees are approximately 0.02% per contract.
The offers leverage the regulatory clarity stemming from President Trump’s administration, where Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong was among those present when the legislation was signed during a White House ceremony. Increased regulatory certainty is expected to spur institutional adoption and align U.S. practices with global crypto markets.
“This is an indication of a larger move towards more efficient derivatives markets,” Ganesh Mahidhar commented, noting perpetuals offer narrower settlement windows and can be fee efficient.
Coinbase stock (COIN) was trading at $413.63 on Google Finance at market open on Monday, down from the $425.91 opening price and the pre-announcement all-time high of $444.65 achieved on July 18th.
