Coinbase Secures UAE License to Launch Tokenized Securities

Highlights:

• Coinbase says it has received regulatory approval to launch its tokenized securities and onchain capital markets. 
• The company stated that it got the approval from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).
• Coinbase also announced the release of futures, perpetuals, and crypto options for professional investors in the UK.

America’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase, has secured regulatory approval in Abu Dhabi, which allows it to establish an international hub focused on tokenized securities and onchain capital markets. The trading platform announced the license approval in a press release on Tuesday as part of the company’s ongoing expansion efforts.

According to the announcement, the approval came from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FRSA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). The ADGM is the international financial centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Under the Financial Services Permission (FSP), Coinbase can arrange investment deals and provide custody services. The approval also allows Coinbase to offer tokenized securities through its planned Abu Dhabi hub.

Coinbase said the underlying shares will back the securities issued and registered in ADGM. In addition, the products will operate under FSRA supervision, while eligible token holders will receive shareholder rights tied to the assets. These rights can include voting and economic benefits such as dividends, subject to the conditions set out in each security’s prospectus.

Coinbase has established Abu Dhabi (ADGM) as our international tokenization hub.

Our newly acquired FSRA license means that we can now bring global securities to anyone with a wallet.

The next frontier of global finance is onchain, and we're building it from the UAE. pic.twitter.com/nwPvHrWJYw

— Coinbase 🛡️ (@coinbase) August 11, 2026

Eligibility and Criteria for Using Coinbase’s Latest Tokenized Security Hub

Coinbase stated that investors must have a wallet to transact in the digital securities. At the same time, the company said transfers will remain subject to ongoing regulatory checks. For example, the trading platform can freeze or seize assets that were flagged as suspicious. 

This approach allows blockchain-based finance and regulatory requirements to operate together. Brett Tejpaul, Co-CEO at Coinbase Institutional, said ADGM’s decision to establish a virtual asset framework in 2018  underscores the company’s willingness to support blockchain-based financial services while maintaining strong regulatory standards.  

The Co-CEO stated:

“No major financial center has yet built a framework that treats tokenized equities simultaneously as securities, blockchain-native tokens, and DeFi-composable assets.”

Coinbase Emphasizes the Need for Increased Capital Markets Access

The American crypto exchange stated that its ongoing projects aim to improve investors’ access to capital markets. According to Coinbase, about 4 billion people lack access to these markets. The exchange argued that the problem is often not a lack of money. However, the main challenge lies in the high costs associated with traditional financial systems. 

Coinbase said it intends to solve some of these limitations with blockchain technology. For instance, its planned security service can allow investors to hold digital versions of securities through a crypto wallet rather than relying on the traditional systems normally used to access financial markets. 

Coinbase Opens Derivative Access to UK Investors

Elsewhere, Coinbase announced that it is bringing futures, perpetuals, and crypto options to professional traders in the United Kingdom. The exchange said it will gradually introduce access to these services over the coming months. Eligible professional investors will be able to trade more than 170 contracts covering crypto, commodities, equities, and foreign exchange.  

Coinbase stated:

“This rollout marks another significant milestone in our global mission to build the world’s most comprehensive, transparent, and regulated derivatives platform, and bring our Everything Exchange strategy to the UK.”