Coinbase has launched regulated crypto derivatives trading in Canada, giving eligible traders direct access to perpetual and dated futures through its platform for the first time.
The launch, announced on September 2, expands Coinbase’s derivatives business into a Canadian market where investors have historically had to rely on offshore or unregulated platforms to access crypto futures.
The products are offered through Coinbase Financial Markets, a futures commission merchant registered with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
23 crypto futures now available
Canadian traders can access 23 perpetual and dated futures contracts covering Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and other digital assets.
The offering also includes five commodity futures tied to gold, silver and oil, as well as futures linked to Coinbase’s COIN50 crypto index.
Coinbase has designed the contracts in nano sizes, reducing the amount of capital required to open a position. Eligible traders can use leverage of up to 10x and take either long or short positions.
For the launch period, Coinbase said eligible traders will pay 0.02% per trade plus $0.11 per contract.
What the launch means for Canadian traders
Derivatives allow investors to speculate on price movements without directly holding the underlying asset. They can also be used to hedge against potential losses in an existing portfolio.
That makes the new offering relevant beyond individual crypto traders. Coinbase cited Bank of Canada data showing that about one-third of publicly listed Canadian non-financial companies use derivatives to hedge earnings.
The crypto derivatives market is also significantly larger than the spot market. Coinbase estimates global crypto derivatives trading volume at about 4.4 times spot trading volume.
By bringing regulated futures to its Canadian platform, Coinbase is giving eligible local investors access to products that were previously difficult to obtain through regulated domestic venues.
Coinbase expands its derivatives business
The Canadian launch comes as Coinbase continues building its derivatives business across multiple markets.Earlier this year, the exchange introduced regulated futures access in 26 European countries.
Coinbase is also preparing to integrate its International Exchange with Deribit, bringing its global derivatives operations onto a unified platform. The planned transition is scheduled for September 9, subject to regulatory and operational requirements.
The company says the combined infrastructure will provide access to perpetuals, dated futures, options and spot markets, with deeper liquidity and an enhanced risk framework.
For Canada, however, the immediate development is the availability of regulated crypto futures directly through Coinbase.Access remains subject to eligibility requirements, and Coinbase warns that futures trading carries substantial risk, particularly when leverage is used.
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