Coinbase Launches Stock Trading and Event Market Contracts

Coinbase has unveiled a sweeping expansion that moves the crypto exchange into stock trading and prediction markets. The company announced Wednesday it will offer equities, advanced derivatives, and event contracts through a partnership with Kalshi. CEO Brian Armstrong positioned the rollout as part of a broader strategy to transform Coinbase into a comprehensive financial platform.

Stock trading.

Rolling out on Coinbase in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/tTcjpvVyXc

— Coinbase 🛡️ (@coinbase) December 17, 2025

The exchange is also launching Coinbase Tokenize, an institutional stack designed to support real-world asset tokenization. Armstrong called stock trading “a good first step” toward tokenized equities. He said the move could “democratize access for people all over the world” while unlocking new market structures in the United States.

Armstrong emphasized that prediction markets offer more than trading opportunities. He told CNBC that perhaps 1% of users trade these products as an asset class. The remaining 99% use them to gauge sentiment on elections, economic indicators, and other events.

Coinbase Developer Tools and Stablecoin Infrastructure

Coinbase is broadening its platform offerings for businesses and developers alongside retail expansion. Coinbase Business is becoming available to eligible customers in the United States and Singapore.

The company is rolling out an expanded API suite covering custody, payments, trading, and stablecoins. It is also introducing custom stablecoins for companies seeking branded payment rails.

A new payments standard called x402 aims to simplify attaching stablecoin payments to web requests. This includes applications for automated commerce and agent-driven transactions.

Armstrong’s thesis positions crypto as an upgrade cycle for the entire financial system. He suggested every major asset class will eventually move on-chain, from prediction markets and equities to commodities and real estate.

Even the largest asset managers are signaling interest in migrating funds on-chain, according to Armstrong. This positions Coinbase as a central platform for that transition.

The strategic focus centers on retention and diversification. Coinbase wants its existing crypto-native audience to remain on the platform across all asset classes. This becomes particularly important when crypto volumes decline and transaction revenue compresses.

Coinbase holds a license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, secured in June. This regulatory approval supports the exchange’s continued European expansion amid varying national approaches to crypto legislation.

Robinhood this week expanded prediction markets into sports-style contracts resembling parlays and prop bets. The company called the category its fastest-growing business by revenue, underscoring intense competition in the space.

Coinbase Builds Institutional Infrastructure and Global Expansion

The announcement builds on recent moves to strengthen Coinbase’s institutional and international presence. Standard Chartered expanded its partnership with Coinbase on December 14, 2025, to develop crypto infrastructure for institutional clients.

The two firms will explore offerings spanning trading, prime services, custody, staking, and lending. Margaret Harwood-Jones, global head of financing and securities services at Standard Chartered, said the partnership aims to support secure and interoperable solutions.

The collaboration builds on existing work in Singapore, where Standard Chartered provides banking connectivity for Coinbase. This enables real-time Singapore dollar transfers for exchange customers.

Meanwhile, Coinbase expanded its European footprint on December 18 by integrating Blik mobile payments in Poland. The partnership with European payment processor PPro connects the exchange to nearly 20 million Polish users of the mobile payment network.

Coinbase executive Côme Prost highlighted the importance of local payment rails in driving crypto adoption. PPro executive Tom Benson expressed confidence that the partnership would deepen in 2026 with additional payment methods.