Coinbase Expands 24/7 Altcoin Futures Trading Ahead of December Launch
What Coinbase Is Adding to Its Derivatives Lineup
Coinbase’s CFTC-regulated derivatives division is preparing a major expansion of its altcoin futures market, announcing plans to launch 24/7 trading for Avalanche, BTC Cash, Cardano, Chainlink, Dogecoin, Hedera, Litecoin, Polkadot, Shiba Inu, Stellar and SUI. The nonstop trading functionality will go live on December 5, according to an announcement from Coinbase Markets.
These additions build on Coinbase Derivatives’ existing slate of around-the-clock futures trading for BTC, ETH, Solana and XRP. The platform has been steadily pushing deeper into throughout 2024 and 2025, including nano-sized contracts and perp-style futures that mimic the behavior of offshore perpetual swaps.
Coinbase is also preparing to introduce U.S. perpetual-style futures for the identical basket of altcoins. These contracts incorporate a funding-rate mechanism to keep prices in line with spot markets, similar to the perpetual futures popularized on offshore platforms. The key distinction is that Coinbase’s variants have a five-year expiration, in order to fit within the CFTC’s regulatory framework.
Investor Takeaway
Why Coinbase Is Accelerating Futures Growth Now
The expansion arrives at a moment when trading flows are shifting dramatically toward . Platforms such as Hyperliquid and Lighter have viewn record growth, driven by low fees, deep liquidity, and 24/7 access without intermediaries. According to The Block’s metrics, the ratio of decentralized-to-centralized futures volume is now at an all-time high.
Coinbase is positioning itself as the regulated alternative to this surge in on-chain derivatives activity. By offering round-the-clock trading and perp-style instruments within a CFTC-supervised environment, Coinbase aims to capture users who want the flexibility of crypto-native products but with the compliance and operational secureguards of a U.S. platform.
The derivative rollout also follows Coinbase’s landmark 2.9 billion dollar acquisition of Deribit, the options platform. The acquisition significantly expanded Coinbase’s derivatives footprint and accelerated its push into sophisticated trading products.
How Coinbase’s Perp-Style Contracts Work
Perpetual futures are among the most widely because they allow traders to maintain leveraged exposure without rolling contracts or facing expiry deadlines. Offshore platforms dominate this segment, but regulatory constraints have prevented true perpetuals from launching in the U.S.
Coinbase’s “perp-style” design attempts to bridge that gap by introducing:
- : Traders pay or receive periodic funding to keep contract prices aligned with spot markets.
- Long-dated expiries: Contracts extend out five years, allowing extended directional positioning without frequent roll events.
- CFTC oversight: Products are built to satisfy regulatory requirements that offshore platforms do not adhere to.
This hybrid approach gives U.S. traders a compliant alternative to offshore perpetuals and opens the door for institutions that cannot access unregulated venues.
Investor Takeaway
The Competitive Landscape: CEXs vs. DEXs
Coinbase’s expansion highlights the intensifying competition between centralized and :
- access, lower barriers and synthetic perpetuals, drawing traders who prefer non-custodial models.
- Regulated CEX advantage: Institutions and compliance-sensitive traders require regulated venues, giving Coinbase a structural advantage for onboarding corporate and professional users.
- Liquidity fragmentation: As more derivatives move on-chain, centralized venues are pressured to offer hybrid features to retain market share.
Coinbase’s perpetual-style contracts is a direct response to this shift. It demonstrates how regulated increasingly shaped by crypto-native products and decentralized rails.
With more altcoins joining its futures roster, Coinbase is positioning itself not only as a U.S. regulatory anchor but as a full-spectrum derivatives provider capable of competing with offshore and decentralized rivals.
