Story perspectives

Coinbase Expands into Stock Trading, Offers Commission-Free ETFs

12/19/2025

Summary

Story summary

Coinbase announces a major expansion into stock trading and prediction markets to become a multi-asset platform.
U.S. users can trade stocks and ETFs commission-free using the USDC stablecoin.
The company partners with Kalshi to offer prediction markets.
The move aims to diversify Coinbase's revenue amid declining crypto trading volumes.
Coinbase plans to introduce tokenization services for real-world assets in the future.

History

Historical Context

The 2008 financial crisis prompted the Dodd-Frank Act to regulate financial markets and mitigate systemic risks. Coinbase, founded in 2012, has evolved significantly, recently partnering with Kalshi to enable commission-free trading of stocks and ETFs using USDC. This shift reflects broader trends in financial technology, enhancing market accessibility as traditional trading volumes decline, and may redefine the relationship between digital currencies and conventional assets.

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Story summary

Coinbase announces a major expansion into stock trading and prediction markets to become a multi-asset platform.
U.S. users can trade stocks and ETFs commission-free using the USDC stablecoin.
The company partners with Kalshi to offer prediction markets.
The move aims to diversify Coinbase's revenue amid declining crypto trading volumes.
Coinbase plans to introduce tokenization services for real-world assets in the future.

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