Coinbase has unveiled its most ambitious expansion to date, launching a comprehensive suite of new products designed to transform the crypto exchange into a full-spectrum financial platform. Announced on December 17, 2025, the “System Update” marks a decisive strategic pivot, aiming to make Coinbase a one-stop shop for trading everything from cryptocurrencies and U.S. stocks to predictions on real-world events. CEO Brian Armstrong framed the move succinctly: “Coinbase is now the best place to trade every asset, not just crypto”.
Blending Traditional and Digital Finance
The centerpiece of the rollout is the introduction of stock and ETF trading directly within the Coinbase app for U.S. users. Offered in partnership with broker-dealer subsidiary Coinbase Capital Markets Corp, this feature allows investors to buy and sell leading equities alongside their crypto portfolios using USD or the USDC stablecoin. A key competitive edge is extended trading hours, with certain stocks available for trading 24 hours a day, five days a week, breaking free from traditional market constraints. The company plans to add thousands more stocks and ETFs in the coming months.
Simultaneously, Coinbase is entering the fast-growing prediction markets space through a partnership with the regulated platform Kalshi. Users will be able to trade on the outcomes of events like elections, sports, and economic indicators, managing these positions within the same unified interface as their other investments.
The Roadmap to a Tokenized Future
While adding traditional assets is significant, Coinbase’s long-term vision points toward an on-chain future. The company announced Coinbase Tokenize, a new institutional-grade platform designed to power the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs), with equities being a primary target. Armstrong described traditional stock trading as “a good first step,” with the ultimate goal being the launch of fully tokenized stocks that can be traded 24/7 globally. This infrastructure positions Coinbase at the forefront of the burgeoning RWA movement, though full regulatory approval for trading tokenized stocks is still pending.
The expansion is rounded out by several other major initiatives: a simplified interface for futures and perpetuals trading in the main app, integration with Solana’s Jupiter aggregator to trade millions of new tokens, and the global launch of the social-centric “Base App”. For businesses, “Coinbase Business” becomes generally available, offering companies tools for global crypto payments, asset management, and automated finance.
A Strategic Pivot for New Growth
This transformation is a direct response to several market dynamics. It aims to diversify Coinbase’s revenue streams beyond the volatility of crypto trading cycles. Analysts, such as those from Deutsche Bank, note that the move “should substantially widen the firm’s addressable markets” and mitigate pricing pressure in its core business. Furthermore, it is a competitive necessity, as rivals like Robinhood, Kraken, and Gemini are also expanding into overlapping territories like tokenized equities and prediction markets.
For users, the promise is unified financial management. Instead of juggling multiple apps for different asset classes, Coinbase aims to be a single platform for crypto, stocks, derivatives, and more. The company is betting that by combining its crypto-native strengths—like 24/7 markets and stablecoin integration—with traditional assets, it can build the defining “everything app” for the future of finance.
