Coinbase Launches Regulated Futures in Europe as Nasdaq and Kraken Team Up for Tokenized Stocks

Coinbase brings regulated futures to 26 European countries

Crypto exchange Coinbase has opened regulated futures trading for Advanced platform users across 26 European nations. The new product lineup covers digital assets — ranging from Bitcoin to Solana — as well as stock indices.

Two contract types are available:

• Long-term contracts — with expiration dates up to five years and daily settlement;
• Term contracts — with monthly or quarterly durations.

Maximum leverage for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and indices reaches 10x. Other products are capped at 5x. The base fee starts at 0.02% per contract.

Nasdaq and Kraken join forces on tokenized equities

In a parallel development, stock exchange operator Nasdaq has partnered with crypto platform Kraken to build infrastructure for issuing and trading tokenized stocks. According to The Wall Street Journal, the platform is expected to launch in early 2027.

Token holders will enjoy the same rights as traditional shareholders, including dividend payouts and voting rights. Blockchain technology will automate these corporate processes and accelerate settlement times.

Kraken will serve as the distribution partner. The tokenized equities will be offered to the exchange's clients outside the United States, with a primary focus on Europe.

Why this matters

Coinbase's expansion of futures products into 26 European markets signals rising demand for regulated derivatives among European crypto traders. The move intensifies competition with local exchanges and highlights the maturing regulatory landscape across the EU.

The Nasdaq-Kraken partnership carries even broader implications. The world's leading technology exchange is making a decisive push into real-world asset (RWA) tokenization. The initiative builds on a filing Nasdaq submitted to the SEC in September, requesting permission to trade conventional and tokenized securities side by side.

Additional partnerships and broader context

Beyond the Kraken agreement, Nasdaq has also established a partnership with Centurion, a platform owned by Boerse Stuttgart Group. This arrangement will connect European venues for digital asset settlement.

For Kraken, the tokenized stock project is a natural extension of xChange, its on-chain trading platform launched in March. That service enables trading of tokenized assets called xStocks, issued by the Backed project.

Both developments — Coinbase's European futures launch and the Nasdaq-Kraken tokenized stock platform — reflect an accelerating convergence of traditional financial instruments with blockchain infrastructure. Europe stands at the center of both initiatives, positioning the continent as a key battleground for regulated crypto and tokenized asset products.