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Coinbase (COIN) opened stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading to all U.S. customers, expanding beyond digital assets as part of its plan to become an “everything exchange.”
The roll-out allows users to buy and sell U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs on the same platform they use for crypto. Trading runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, with no commission. Customers can fund trades with U.S. dollars or USDC and buy fractional shares starting at $1.
Coinbase outlined the expansion in December, when it said it intended to bring multiple asset classes under one roof. Earlier this month, it debuted a predictions market, enabling users to trade on the outcomes of real-world events. Stock trading marks another step in that strategy.
The move brings Coinbase into more direct competition with retail brokerages such as Robinhood (HOOD), which has been doubling down on its crypto product suite. It also reflects a push among crypto firms to blend the asset class with traditional financial products. Breaking away from a crypto-only business model could help Coinbase loosen the tie between its share price and bitcoin BTC$63,024.01 so it trades more like a diversified tech stock, offering some cushion during a crypto downturn.
Both COIN and HOOD have lost about 35% this year as digital assets struggle. EToro (ETOR) is 13% lower over the same period, with the company’s fourth-quarter earnings showing strong equities trading on the platform.
To support the introduction, Coinbase has an agreement with Yahoo Finance. The financial news site will feature a button that lets users move from researching a stock to executing a trade on the exchange. Yahoo Finance will also display real-time data from Coinbase within its interface.
Coinbase said it is working with Apex Fintech Solutions for clearing custody and execution.
The company plans to expand 24/5 trading to more stocks in the coming months. It has also signaled interest in offering tokenized stocks, which would allow equities to move on blockchain networks and potentially trade around the clock.
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