Summary

  • Coinbase is set to introduce futures, perpetuals, and options for professional investors in the UK, featuring over 170 contracts across various asset classes.
  • Perpetual contracts allow for leverage up to 50x and are available for continuous trading, while dated futures offer leverage of up to 20x.
  • This initiative follows the MiFID investment services authorization granted by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in July.

Coinbase is gearing up to offer derivatives trading to professional investors in the UK, as announced on Tuesday. This new service will feature more than 170 contracts, encompassing crypto, commodities, equities, and foreign exchange, with leverage reaching as high as 50 times.

The offerings will include three types of contracts, as detailed by Keith Grose, Coinbase's vice president for the UK and international markets. Perpetual contracts, which do not have an expiration date, will be available across all 170-plus assets, allowing for continuous trading with leverage up to 50x.

Derivatives are coming to Coinbase in the UK šŸ‡¬šŸ‡§

Eligible professional investors can soon access:

ā†’ Futures
ā†’ Perpetuals
ā†’ Options

Across 170+ contracts in crypto, FX, equities, and commodities, with up to 50x leverage.

With access rolling out over the coming months. pic.twitter.com/wnOK9vaHnu

ā€” Coinbase šŸ›”ļø (@coinbase) August 11, 2026

In addition, dated futures will settle on predetermined dates, incorporate the cost of carry at entry, and limit leverage to 20x. Crypto options will be limited to crypto assets and will offer both call and put options across various strategies, complete with integrated payoff diagrams.

Only professional clients will be eligible for these offerings, and Coinbase has indicated that the rollout will be gradual. Since 2021, the FCA has prohibited the sale of crypto derivatives to retail consumers in the UK, leading individual traders to seek alternatives in offshore markets.

This launch is made possible by the investment services authorization, often referred to as a MiFID licence, which Coinbase obtained from the FCA on July 7, allowing it to offer financial instruments beyond just crypto. Earlier this year, Coinbase had already introduced crypto futures to 26 European countries in March under MiFID II, with leverage up to 10 times.

According to Grose, this launch aligns with Coinbase's "Everything Exchange" strategy, which aims to integrate crypto, stocks, derivatives, and prediction markets into a single platform. The firm notes that global trading volume in crypto derivatives often surpasses that of spot markets by a factor of 4.4, indicating that professional traders are often dependent on unregulated venues.