Coinbase has opened stock and exchange-traded fund trading to all U.S. customers, expanding beyond digital assets as it pushes to become what it calls an “everything exchange.”
The rollout allows users to buy and sell U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs on the same platform they use for crypto. Trading runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, with zero commission on eligible securities.
Customers can fund trades with U.S. dollars or the USDC stablecoin and purchase fractional shares starting at $1.
The move builds on a limited equities launch in December and follows the debut of predictions market earlier this month. Together, the products reflect a broader strategy to bring multiple asset classes under one account and interface.
Coinbase is partnering with Yahoo Finance as part of the expansion, the company said. The financial news platform will add a “Trade [asset] on Coinbase” button to stock and crypto pages, allowing users to move from research to execution.
Yahoo Finance will also integrate real-time data from Coinbase into its market pages. The companies did not disclose financial terms of the agreement.
To power the equities infrastructure, the company is working with Apex Fintech Solutions for clearing, custody and execution services. The integration enables users to access U.S. equity markets within the Coinbase app while relying on Apex for back-end brokerage functions.
The launch places the exchange in more direct competition with retail brokerages such as Robinhood, which has expanded its crypto offerings in recent years. By adding stocks and ETFs, Coinbase is moving onto Robinhood’s core turf as both firms compete for retail traders seeking exposure to digital assets and traditional markets in one account.
Coinbase’s ($COIN) recent stock performance
The expansion also carries implications for Coinbase’s own stock performance. Shares of Coinbase Global Inc., which trade under the ticker COIN, have often moved in tandem with the price of bitcoin, reflecting the company’s dependence on crypto trading revenue.
A broader product mix tied to equities and other financial instruments could help loosen that relationship and position the company more like a diversified technology platform rather than a pure-play crypto exchange.
Both COIN and Robinhood’s HOOD shares have fallen about 35% this year amid weakness in digital asset markets. By contrast, trading activity in equities has provided a steadier revenue base for some platforms during periods of lower crypto volatility.
Over the past two weeks, Coinbase has faced sharp stock volatility as crypto markets swung between selloffs and brief relief rallies. Analysts trimmed price targets amid weaker trading activity, though shares rebounded strongly during short-term bitcoin surges.
CEO Brian Armstrong also recently publicly defended the integrity of spot Bitcoin ETFs, rejecting claims that the products are backed by “paper bitcoin” and emphasizing Coinbase’s custodial role.
Coinbase said more than 8,000 stocks and ETFs are available at launch, with plans to expand 24/5 trading to additional securities in the coming months. The company also signaled interest in offering tokenized stocks in the future, which would allow equities to move across blockchain networks and potentially trade around the clock. Any such products would be subject to regulatory approval.
The equities push comes as Coinbase reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $667 million, with transaction revenue down quarter over quarter. Subscription and services revenue also declined.
The addition of stock and ETF trading represents an effort to diversify income streams and attract users who want a single venue for managing crypto and traditional investments.
Source: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/coinbase-launches-24-5-stock-trading
