Coinbase secures Australian license, sets sights on stock trading expansion
On April 1, Australia enacted new legislation that placed digital asset platforms and tokenized custody services under the oversight of its financial services licensing framework.
Following its acquisition of a financial services license in Australia, international cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has announced intentions to broaden its Australian product portfolio to include options trading, futures contracts, stock trading, payment services and additional traditional finance offerings as it pursues an "everything exchange" strategy in the country.
According to John O'Loghlen, who serves as Coinbase's regional managing director for the Asia-Pacific region, the newly obtained Australian financial services license (AFSL) will enable the platform to launch crypto and equity perpetuals as initial offerings, while paving the way for the introduction of futures contracts, options trading and various traditional financial instruments down the line.
"We're going to compete with traditional financial services on stock trading, payments and other TradFi products with the speed and execution of crypto," O'Loghlen said.
The acquisition of an AFSL places Coinbase under the identical regulatory requirements for conduct standards, disclosure obligations, governance frameworks and consumer safeguards that govern traditional financial services institutions, representing a major achievement in Australia's efforts to create a comprehensive regulatory structure specifically designed for digital assets.
Licensing legislation takes effect 12 months after assent
On April 1, the Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 successfully cleared both chambers of Australia's Parliament. The legislation now awaits royal assent, which represents the concluding procedural requirement before it officially becomes law. The bill's provisions are scheduled to come into force 12 months following the granting of royal assent.
"Thoughtful regulation is good for customers, good for the industry and good for Australia's ambition to be a leading digital economy in the Asia-Pacific region," O'Loghlen said.
During February, cryptocurrency industry leaders, including O'Loghlen among them, informed Cointelegraph that Australia's digital asset sector is experiencing advancement in terms of user adoption and regulatory framework development, though numerous challenges remain to be addressed and resolved.
According to the Cryptocurrency Index published by crypto trading platform Independent Reserve, approximately 33% of the Australian population now holds some form of cryptocurrency exposure, representing an increase from 31% recorded in 2025, within a total national population exceeding 27.7 million residents. The research also revealed that an increasing proportion of users are utilizing cryptocurrency for purchasing goods and services when compared to the previous year's data.
Coinbase is expanding in Australia with new hires
In conjunction with obtaining its AFSL license, Coinbase has revealed that it has been growing its Australian workforce through the recruitment of senior-level professionals spanning legal affairs, compliance functions, marketing initiatives and operational management, with candidates recruited from various other regulated sectors.
Back in September, both Coinbase and its rival cryptocurrency exchange OKX launched specialized services designed for self-managed superannuation funds operating in Australia, providing individuals with additional options for incorporating cryptocurrency holdings into the nation's retirement savings infrastructure.
By the conclusion of the third quarter of 2025, Australia's aggregate superannuation assets reached an estimated value of approximately 4.5 trillion Australian dollars (equivalent to $3.1 trillion in United States currency).