Coinbase has begun rolling out access to almost 4,000 US-listed stocks for eligible UK customers, allowing them to trade equities and cryptocurrency through the same app.
The service includes fractional shares, with purchases available from £1, and offers commission-free stock trading. Customers can fund orders instantly using either pounds or USDC, although Coinbase said other charges may apply depending on how a transaction is structured.
Trading will be available 24 hours a day, five days a week, giving UK users access beyond the normal opening hours of Wall Street markets. The rollout begins on 6 August, with eligible customers gaining access progressively.
“Every Coinbase U.K. user can now trade U.S. stocks, and crypto in one single app,” the company said.
The launch is part of Coinbase’s wider “Everything Exchange” strategy, which aims to bring traditional financial products and digital assets together on one platform. The US-based crypto exchange is expanding its UK offering at a time when it is seeking to become more than a venue for buying and selling tokens.
Coinbase has already introduced savings and crypto-backed borrowing products in the UK. The latest move gives customers access to equities alongside crypto holdings and fiat balances, with the company presenting the app as a single destination for several types of financial service.
Keith Grose, Coinbase’s UK Managing Director, said the business was positioning itself as a one-stop platform for stocks, crypto, savings and related products.
The move follows Coinbase receiving UK authorisation to provide investment services under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive framework. Approval from the Financial Conduct Authority allows the company to offer regulated services involving financial instruments, including equities and derivatives.
That regulatory approval provides Coinbase with a route into traditional investment markets while requiring it to operate under rules covering consumer protection and market integrity.
The company believes that simpler access and longer trading hours could encourage more people in the UK to invest in stocks. Coinbase said its survey data indicated that UK retail investors participate in the stock market at lower rates than investors in the United States.
By placing equities next to cryptocurrency balances, Coinbase hopes to make it easier for users to move between the two asset classes. It also argues that the extended schedule reflects the way customers already access digital-asset markets.
“Crypto markets are 24/7/365,” Coinbase said in a blogpost. “By launching 24/5 stock trading, Coinbase is bringing more access and more hours to traditional stock trading for U.K. users.”
Customers who subscribe to Coinbase One will continue to receive uncapped rewards on eligible USDC balances held within the platform.
The expansion represents a significant change in direction for a company built around cryptocurrency. Rather than asking customers to use separate services for digital assets and conventional investments, Coinbase is developing a platform that combines both and is betting that investors will increasingly expect the distinction between them to narrow.
