Coinbase brings futures for private investors into the EU internal market
- Coinbase is offering private investors in the EU trading in futures contracts for the first time. Access is via Coinbase Advanced and is open to customers in EU member countries, except Sweden.
- This is a big step for the German market, as derivatives on digital assets have so far mostly been traded via non-EU providers who do not have to be MiCAR-compliant.
Coinbase uses its EU securities license for its offering, which consists of two different derivatives: The first category is fixed-term futures, which have a term of five years and are settled daily.
An hourly funding mechanism ensures that the price of the contract is closely aligned with the market.
With this model, experienced traders can build long-term positions without having to pay attention to the typical expiry dates of classic contracts.
The second category includes contracts with fixed monthly or quarterly maturities. These are valued daily based on official settlement prices and settled in cash when due.
With the two variants, Coinbase covers a wide spectrum, ranging from Bitcoin and Ethereum to Solana and selected stock indices.
The company is thus expanding its profile beyond pure crypto assets and creating an offering that takes both digital assets and traditional assets into account.
Access, Fees and Leverage
Depending on the contract, four to ten times leverage is possible. Fees start at 0.02 percent per contract, although additional exchange and clearing costs may apply.
Access is tied to an “aptitude test” that tests trading experience and risk awareness. Interested investors must go through a full KYC process and fund their account with euros or the stablecoin USDC before trading futures. Coinbase specifically notes that these derivatives involve significant risks and are not suitable for all investors.
Expansion of the EU offer
For the EU market, the introduction of regulated futures means a noticeable expansion of the available trading instruments.
Coinbase emphasizes that the EU’s MiCA rules make it easier to market and that they want to follow up with further product lines.
This gives traders access to derivatives that were previously only available through providers outside the European Union.
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