New York, Feb 25, 2026, 12:01 (EST) — Regular session
- Coinbase shares jumped close to 12% in late-morning trading, following the company’s move to open U.S. stock and ETF trading access to all eligible users.
- With Apex handling clearing and custody, the launch offers 24/5 trading, $1 fractional shares, and zero-commission trades.
- Early uptake numbers and what management has to say at the March 3 Morgan Stanley conference are drawing traders’ attention.
Shares of Coinbase Global jumped 11.8% to $181.10 late Wednesday morning, after the crypto platform expanded further into trading U.S. stocks and ETFs. The company’s stock had previously finished at $162.03. 1
Coinbase is pushing further into products built to withstand crypto’s dry spells, and adding equities trading means it’s stepping into territory long dominated by retail brokerages with established stock-buying habits. The shift gives Coinbase another hook to attract users during stretches when bitcoin isn’t drawing the crowds on its own.
Coinbase has rolled out stock trading for all U.S. users, opening up access to both stocks and ETFs around the clock, five days a week—“24/5”—with zero commissions. Customers can fund trades in either U.S. dollars or USDC, the platform’s dollar-linked stablecoin, and buy in for as little as $1 with fractional shares. At launch, about 6,000 securities are on offer, with that figure set to climb above 8,000 over the next few weeks. The company expects to add more names to its 24/5 roster as time goes on. Looking further ahead, Coinbase pointed to plans for “stock perpetuals”—non-expiring derivatives tied to stock prices—for non-U.S. users this spring, and signaled ambitions to introduce tokenized stocks, blockchain-powered versions of equities. 2
Apex Fintech Solutions is handling clearing, custody, and execution for the rollout, describing the deal as “making investing accessible to everyone through technology.” Liz Martin, Coinbase’s vice president for markets, called the addition of stock trading to the platform “a major milestone that bridges traditional and digital assets.” 3
Coinbase is tapping Yahoo Finance for both discovery and routing, as the crypto firm broadens its reach. Yahoo Finance GM George Leimer cited “a clear shift in investor behavior.” Max Branzburg, who leads consumer products at Coinbase, told Benzinga the move is about “making crypto trading more approachable.” 4
Chief Executive Brian Armstrong called it an “everything” push, saying in a social media post, “We’re not stopping until Coinbase is the #1 financial app in the world,” according to Barron’s. 5
In crypto, Bitcoin hovered near $67,880, showing a roughly 5% gain over the past day, Coinbase data showed. 6
Still, there’s a clear risk here. Commission-free stock trading is already a packed field, and Coinbase faces the challenge of convincing its crypto-heavy base to become regular equity traders—without extra costs eating into margins. If they push further into stock-based derivatives or tokenized equities, that effort could hit a wall if regulators decide to crack down.
Now, investors are watching for initial signs on uptake and any shifts in engagement as Coinbase expands its roster of eligible securities. The company noted that CFO Alesia Haas is slated for a fireside chat at Morgan Stanley’s Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on March 3, set for 4:50 p.m. ET. 7
