preferred on
Points of Focus
- Coinbase launches regulated crypto perpetual futures for eligible Canadian traders.
- Access includes 23 crypto futures offering up to 10x leverage.
- Derivatives trade through a US CFTC-registered Coinbase Financial Markets entity.
Coinbase has launched regulated crypto derivatives in Canada, giving eligible traders access to perpetual and dated futures tied to Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), and other assets, with leverage of up to 10x.
The Sept. 2 rollout is being offered through Coinbase Financial Markets (CFM), the company’s US futures commission merchant registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and a member of the National Futures Association. For Canadian customers, CFM operates under foreign dealer and futures commission merchant exemptions.
Coinbase said it is the first major crypto-native platform to offer direct native crypto futures in Canada through this structure.
LATEST: 🇨🇦 Coinbase launched regulated crypto futures in Canada, offering eligible clients Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana contracts with up to 10x leverage. pic.twitter.com/8ft73DAlUC
— CoinMarketCap (@CoinMarketCap) September 3, 2026
Canadian traders get 23 crypto futures markets
The launch includes 23 perpetual and dated crypto futures, including contracts linked to BTC, ETH, and SOL.
Eligible users can also access five commodity futures, covering products such as gold, silver, and oil, as well as the Coinbase 50 Index. Contracts are available in smaller “nano” sizes designed to reduce upfront capital requirements.
Perpetual-style futures allow traders to maintain leveraged exposure without the fixed expiry associated with traditional futures contracts. Coinbase said Canadian users can take long or short positions with leverage of up to 10x.
That increases capital efficiency but also amplifies losses. A relatively small adverse price move can consume a leveraged trader’s margin and lead to forced position closures.
The product is therefore not being opened to every retail Coinbase customer in Canada.
Coinbase said users must satisfy eligibility requirements based on their province. Its current Canadian derivatives rules require customers to meet at least one qualifying standard, including holding at least $5 million in net financial assets excluding real estate or being a registered investment adviser or dealer.
Derivatives sit outside Coinbase Canada
The regulatory structure also separates the new futures business from Coinbase’s Canadian spot exchange.
Spot balances remain with Coinbase Canada, while Canadian derivatives balances are held through Coinbase Financial Markets.
That arrangement lets Coinbase provide US-regulated derivatives contracts in Canada without treating them as ordinary products of its domestic crypto platform.
The expansion comes only weeks after Coinbase Canada CEO Eric Richmond said the company wanted to become an “everything exchange” in the country, extending beyond spot cryptocurrency into derivatives, tokenized assets, and other financial products.
Coinbase is building a much larger derivatives business
Canada is only one part of Coinbase’s derivatives expansion.
Across its derivatives venues, Coinbase currently reports more than $40 billion in open interest, with over 150 markets available across Coinbase Derivatives, its international exchange, and Deribit.
Coinbase is also preparing to move perpetual trading from Coinbase International Exchange onto Deribit infrastructure on Sept. 9, following its acquisition of the options exchange. Eligible customers will gain access to options alongside perpetual and dated futures.
For Canada, the immediate expansion remains aimed at sophisticated traders rather than the broader retail market.
Still, bringing BTC, ETH, and SOL perpetuals onto a regulated Coinbase account reduces the need for qualifying Canadian investors to use offshore platforms for leveraged crypto exposure — one of the gaps Coinbase specifically says the launch is designed to close.
Share
Most read articles
