Key Takeaways
- Coinbase has expanded its “perpetual-style” futures offering.
- Eleven altcoins have joined the roster alongside Bitcoin and Ether.
- Unlike traditional perps, perpetual-style futures comply with U.S. derivatives regulations.
Following the launch of its flagship BTC and ETH products earlier this year, Coinbase has expanded its derivatives offering with perpetual-style futures tied to a slate of major altcoins.
While offshore and decentralized exchanges have long dominated the global perp market, Coinbase’s move highlights the steady normalization of regulated crypto derivatives in the U.S. market—albeit in a distinctly American wrapper.
Coinbase Doubles Down on Perps
Coinbase initially listed “perpetual-style” futures for Bitcoin and Ether in July, marking the launch of a new asset class for the U.S.-regulated market.
The contracts are designed to replicate perpetual exposure without being legally classified as swaps. They are technically still futures with expiries, but because they automatically roll over at maturity, from the perspective of traders, they behave the same as true perps.
Which Altcoins Are Supported?
On Thursday, Dec. 15, Coinbase introduced eleven new altcoins to its perpetual-style derivatives offering:
- Avalanche (AVAX)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Cardano (ADA)
- Chainlink (LINK)
- Dogecoin (DOGE)
- Hedera (HBAR)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Polkadot (DOT)
- Shiba Inu (SHIB)
- Sui (SUI)
- Stellar (XLM)
The selection leans toward large-cap, liquid tokens with long trading histories. Legacy networks, such as Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Stellar, sit alongside newer layer-one and infrastructure plays, including Avalanche, Sui, and Chainlink.
Memecoins also feature, with both Dogecoin and Shiba Inu included in the list, their persistent liquidity and retail demand.
A Signal for U.S. Crypto Derivatives
Unlike traditional perps offered by decentralized or offshore exchanges, Coinbase’s perpetual-style futures comply with U.S. derivatives regulations, making them suitable for American retail and institutional traders.
Perp-style futures are listed on Coinbase Derivatives rather than the company’s spot exchange. Traders must access them via the firm’s registered FCM (Futures Commission Merchants) partners, which include ABN Amro, Architect, and Clear Street.
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James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
