Coinbase Brings Tokenized Wall Street to the UK Tea Time 🍵

Coinbase has begun rolling out 24/5 trading in nearly 4,000 US stocks to eligible users in the UK, with the platform calling itself the first crypto-native app to offer American equities in the British market. Eligible UK customers can buy, sell, and hold US stocks alongside crypto and fiat inside the same Coinbase app, with zero-commission trades, fractional shares starting at £1, and instant funding via GBP or USDC. "We see a future where the divide between how an investor manages traditional investments and digital assets disappears," Coinbase said in an official announcement on August 6.

The exchange is operating under a full MiFID-equivalent investment services authorization from the UK's Financial Conduct Authority, granted to Coinbase rather than a cryptoasset registration or an e-money license. The authorization permits Coinbase to offer traditional equities, derivatives, and perpetual futures under a single regulated umbrella in the UK, rather than routing products through separate entities or jurisdictions. Coinbase shared the news on X on August 6, writing: "We're accelerating the Everything Exchange in the UK. Every Coinbase UK user can now trade US stocks, and crypto in one single app. Zero commission, 24/5 access, with as little as £1."

The centerpiece of the UK rollout is tokenized stocks backed 1:1 by underlying US equities, carrying full dividend rights and delivered through Coinbase's on-chain infrastructure. The structure is presented as a blockchain-native representation of real equity exposure, positioning Coinbase as on-chain capital markets infrastructure rather than a brokerage bolting crypto features onto a legacy stack. Coinbase framed the product directly in its announcement, drawing a clear line between tokenized equity and synthetic or CFD alternatives.

The launch tracks a broader industry move toward tokenization of traditional securities, with XRPL-based tokenization initiatives cited as part of the wider trend. COIN shares rose in premarket trading on Thursday following the announcement, though specific premarket price levels were not disclosed in the official materials. Coinbase described the UK rollout as a step toward its "Everything Exchange" vision, in which crypto, equities, and on-chain financial products converge inside a single regulated application.