Coinbase Expands Beyond Crypto With Commission-Free Stocks and ETFs

Coinbase (COIN) launched stock and ETF trading for every US customer on February 24, 2026, marking a major step in the exchange's push to become an "everything exchange" — a single platform where users can trade crypto, equities, and beyond. The rollout brings commission-free Coinbase stock trading and Coinbase ETF trading to the same app millions of users already rely on for digital assets.

Coinbase Opens Stock and ETF Trading to All US Customers

Commission-Free Trades With 24/5 Access

The platform now allows customers to buy and sell any US-listed stock or ETF alongside their crypto holdings, with no commission charged on either side of a trade. Markets are accessible 24 hours a day, five days a week — a schedule that mirrors the always-on nature of crypto exchanges and stands apart from standard brokerage hours.

On the funding side, customers can deposit US dollars or use USDC, the dollar-pegged stablecoin, giving crypto-native users a seamless bridge to equity markets. Fractional shares are available with a minimum investment of just $1, lowering the barrier for smaller investors who want exposure to high-priced names without buying a full share.

Coinbase Takes on Robinhood With Everything Exchange Strategy

How Coinbase Differs From Traditional Brokerages

The move intensifies the rivalry between Coinbase and Robinhood, the commission-free brokerage that has been steadily building out its own crypto product suite. Both firms are now chasing the same customer — someone who wants stocks and digital assets under one roof — but Coinbase's ability to let users fund stock trades with USDC gives it a differentiated angle no traditional brokerage can match.

Coinbase announced the everything exchange strategy in December, signaling its intent to bring multiple asset classes onto a single platform. Earlier this month the exchange debuted a predictions market, letting users wager on real-world outcomes. Stock and ETF trading is the next chapter. The broader play is clear: if Coinbase can diversify its revenue base, COIN shares may eventually trade more like a broad-based fintech than a pure crypto proxy — offering investors a buffer when digital assets sell off.

That buffer is needed now. Both COIN and HOOD have dropped roughly 35% so far this year, while EToro (ETOR) is off 13% over the same stretch as crypto market weakness drags on sector-wide valuations.

We're building the everything exchange — a single platform for every financial asset, from crypto to stocks and beyond.

— Coinbase, Company Statement

Yahoo Finance and Apex Fintech Solutions Power the Launch

To drive user acquisition, Coinbase struck a distribution agreement with Yahoo Finance. Under the deal, Yahoo Finance's stock research pages will feature a direct button that routes readers straight to Coinbase to execute a trade — collapsing the gap between research and action. Yahoo Finance will also embed real-time Coinbase market data into its own interface, giving the exchange visibility in front of millions of daily users.

On the infrastructure side, Coinbase is working with Apex Fintech Solutions to handle clearing, custody, and order execution for the new equities business. Apex is a well-established back-end provider for modern brokerage platforms and gives Coinbase a proven foundation without building the plumbing from scratch.

What Comes Next: Tokenized Stocks and Broader Market Access

The current launch covers a select list of US-listed securities, but Coinbase said it intends to expand the 24/5 trading catalogue to additional stocks over the coming months. The longer-term roadmap goes further: Coinbase has indicated interest in tokenized stocks — blockchain-based representations of equities that could theoretically trade continuously, seven days a week, removing the last remaining time constraint that separates traditional markets from crypto.

Tokenized stocks sit at the intersection of the real-world asset (RWA) tokenization trend and Coinbase's core competency in digital assets. If regulatory conditions allow, the move could position Coinbase ahead of traditional brokerages in the next phase of capital markets infrastructure.