Coinbase’s 2025 Power Play: Regulation Wins, Strategic Acquisitions & New Financial Products Fuel Expansion Beyond Crypto

Coinbase didn't just survive 2025—it conquered new territory.

The Turning Tide: Regulation

For years, regulators treated crypto like a rebellious teenager. Then came 2025. A series of landmark legal victories and clearer frameworks didn't just open doors—they blew them off the hinges. The playing field shifted from murky to mapped, and Coinbase was first through the gate with the paperwork in order.

Buying the Future

Expansion wasn't just organic. The exchange opened its war chest, acquiring complementary fintech platforms and infrastructure plays. These weren't vanity purchases; each move plugged a gap, added a user base, or secured a critical piece of technology. They bought time and talent, fast-tracking roadmaps by years.

Beyond the Trading Pairs

The real story wasn't in another meme coin listing. It was in the product suite that quietly rolled out: institutional-grade custody solutions, tokenized asset platforms, and yield products that made traditional savings accounts look like relics. They stopped asking "how do we trade it?" and started solving "how do we live with it?"

The new offerings didn't just serve crypto natives. They dangled a compelling alternative for the traditional finance crowd finally tired of their bank's 0.01% APY and three-day settlement times—a cynical jab that, for once, had real tech behind it.

The Verdict

Coinbase's 2025 pivot proves a brutal truth in finance: adaptability is the only real asset. They leveraged regulatory clarity as a weapon, used acquisitions as a shortcut, and built products for a future where digital assets are just... assets. The crypto exchange label no longer fits. They're building something far more ambitious: a bridge, and they're charging the toll in both directions.

Regulatory progress and market access

One of the key changes in 2025 was on the regulatory front. The dispute between Coinbase and the Securities and Exchange Commission was permanently terminated when the latter dropped its suit in U.S. litigation. Independently, the federal policy moved forward with the enactment of the GENIUS Act, creating nationwide standards of stablecoins.

Beyond the United States, Coinbase received authorization under the Markets in Crypto-Assets regime of the European Union and is now authorized to provide regulated services in all EU countries.

Coinbase also relocated to Texas, as the state was considered more open to digital asset activity. On the trading front, the exchange enhanced its U.S. trading platform to include futures products and perpetual-style futures products. Meanwhile, its institutional division initiated 24/7 futures trading and cross-margining between spot and derivatives markets regulated by CFTC.

Coinbase’s acquisitions, infrastructure, and new financial products

The firm also excelled in its growth through its acquisition strategy. Coinbase made the largest acquisition in the crypto market by acquiring Deribit to strengthen its derivatives product.

This was also the year when the company launched products in non-trading areas. Coinbase also added trading and prediction markets, including those powered by Kalshi, and launched Coinbase One in the United States, which offers rewards in Bitcoin on purchases. 

The exchange also launched crypto-backed lending, allowing users to borrow USDC backed by Bitcoin and ethereum on Morpho, a Base product. The platform later acquired more than 1 billion Bitcoins in loans during the year. In addition, decentralized exchange trading also became a direct feature of the Coinbase app, enabling users to access on-chain markets on Base and Solana. 

Base network growth and outlook into 2026

Base remained the main on-chain infrastructure of Coinbase. In 2025, more than 18 local-currency stablecoins were introduced on the network in the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Europe, enabling routine payments. USDC payments were implemented in the Base at checkout on Shopify, enabling internet merchants worldwide to settle on-chain.

With the introduction of permissionless fault proofs and an independent security council, the Base network achieved Stage 1 decentralization, reducing its dependence on a single operator. The developer team at Coinbase also created the x402 payment standard, which aims to provide native on-chain payments to developers and automated agents.

Looking ahead, Coinbase Chief Executive Brian Armstrong proposed plans for 2026 that included the creation of an all-encompassing financial application combining crypto, equities, prediction markets, and other asset classes.

Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.