Coinbase secured a UK Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) investment‑services licence, removing the regulatory barrier to offer derivatives and equity trading alongside its existing crypto products.
Regulatory Milestone
The MiFID authorisation aligns Coinbase with traditional investment firms, obligating it to meet the Financial Conduct Authority’s stringent conduct, reporting and capital requirements. This shift turns the company’s long‑standing “everything exchange” ambition from a strategic outline into a concrete market offering.
Implications for UK Investors
British retail clients will soon be able to purchase listed stocks through Coinbase, while professional and institutional investors gain a regulated channel for derivatives linked to both digital and conventional assets. The FCA’s ban on retail crypto‑linked derivatives, enacted on 6 January 2021, remains unchanged, limiting such products to qualified participants.
Broader Compliance Context
Coinbase already operates under an FCA‑approved e‑money licence and holds a MiCA‑aligned investment‑firm authorisation in Cyprus, demonstrating a wide‑reaching regulatory footprint across Europe. The new UK MiFID licence specifically unlocks domestic equity