Coinbase (COIN.US) opens stock and ETF trading to all American users, accelerating its expansion as an "all-in-one exchange."

Crypto trading platform Coinbase (COIN.US) announced that it has opened stock and exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading to all U.S. customers, marking the company's official expansion from digital assets to traditional securities and moving towards the goal of creating a "one-stop exchange". After this launch, users can buy and sell U.S. listed stocks and ETFs on the same platform as cryptocurrency assets. The trading is available five days a week, 24 hours a day, with zero commission. Customers can fund their accounts with US dollars or the stablecoin USDC, and buy fractional shares starting from $1. Coinbase had already stated in December of last year its intention to integrate multiple asset classes onto the same trading platform. Earlier this month, the company also launched a prediction market that allows users to trade around the outcomes of real-world events; the launch of stock trading business further solidifies its multi-asset strategy. This move puts Coinbase in more direct competition with retail brokers, especially Robinhood (HOOD.US), which has been expanding its cryptocurrency product offerings in recent years. Industry experts believe that breaking away from being solely a cryptocurrency business will help Coinbase weaken its high correlation with stock prices and Bitcoin, making it more like a diversified tech platform that can provide some buffer in times of cryptocurrency market downturn. Since the beginning of the year, digital assets have been under pressure, with Coinbase and Robinhood both falling about 35% year-to-date; in comparison, EToro (ETOR.US) has seen a drop of about 13%, with its fourth-quarter earnings report showing strong performance in stock trading on the platform. To facilitate the launch of the new business, Coinbase has partnered with Yahoo Finance. Yahoo Finance will provide direct access from researching stocks to placing trades, and will display real-time market data from Coinbase on its interface. For clearing, custody, and execution, Coinbase has stated that it is working with Apex Fintech Solutions. Looking ahead, Coinbase plans to expand the range of stocks covered in its 24/5 trading in the coming months, and has shown interest in tokenized stocks, a model that can allow stocks to circulate on the blockchain network, theoretically enabling around-the-clock trading. Market observers believe that these initiatives may reshape Coinbase's business boundaries and valuation logic.