Coinbase has received MiFID-related investment services authorization for its UK entity, widening its regulated local business beyond crypto. The company said the approval adds traditional investment activities to a platform that already operated with an electronic money license and crypto asset registration in the country.
UK entity moves beyond crypto-only permissions
MiFID, the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, is the European framework that governs investment services through licensed and supervised institutions. Coinbase’s new authorization means its UK operations now cover crypto services, derivatives, and stock trading within a broader regulated structure.
According to the company, the new status changes how the platform can be used in the UK. Institutional investors and sophisticated traders are expected to gain access to regulated derivatives, including perpetual futures linked to crypto, equities, and commodities. Coinbase also said retail users will be able to trade stocks on the platform for the first time.
One login for crypto, derivatives, and equities
Coinbase said the UK setup is designed around a single account structure. Users will be able to access cryptocurrencies, derivatives, and stock trading with one set of login credentials instead of moving across separate service areas. The company presented that model as a way to remove divisions between financial products on the platform.
Its broader product vision for customers includes stablecoin payments, savings products, lending, crypto trading, derivatives, equities, and eventually tokenized real-world assets. Coinbase described that direction as becoming an “exchange of everything” for users by bringing multiple financial activities into one place.
License arrives before the UK’s full crypto framework
Coinbase pointed to the UK’s broader crypto asset regulatory framework, which is expected to be implemented in October 2027. In its view, the newly obtained license allows users to access regulated investment products earlier than that wider regime.
Data cited from the UK Financial Conduct Authority shows that about 7 million adults in the country currently hold crypto assets. The FCA also says roughly one quarter of people who do not yet own digital assets would be more likely to enter the market if clear regulatory guidance were introduced. Coinbase said those figures support the case for transparent rules in a market it still sees as a major center for capital markets and fintech innovation.
The company views the UK as one of the first places where this convergence of products can be put into practice. Its strategy is to combine different financial services under a single user session and create a more integrated path to market access.