Coinbase Joins Tokenized Stock Race Ahead Of Incoming SEC Exemption

Coinbase is inching closer to launching tokenized stocks, joining a pool of crypto companies racing to bring the offering to US consumers. 

The exchange has already launched a stock trading feature on the platform, holding its horses ahead of incoming regulatory clarity from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

Coinbase to launch tokenized stocks

Coinbase has unveiled plans to launch tokenized stocks backed one-for-one by underlying US equities, expanding the scope of its offerings beyond cryptocurrencies. Upon launch, the offering will allow the exchange’s users to own, trade, and redeem shares on-chain while automatically receiving dividends.

The company shared its ambitious plans during its System Update event on Tuesday, unfurling a raft of products for consumers. 

Already, Coinbase’s US customers can access conventional US stocks, with the exchange pushing the frontiers with 24-hour trading on weekdays. Coinbase users will be able to discover and research stocks with the help of Yahoo Finance.

“Looking ahead, Coinbase plans to offer tokenized stocks, paving the way for a truly always-on market,” said Coinbase in a statement. The company added:

“Soon you will be able to trade anywhere in the world, leverage your equity holdings as on-chain collateral, and make instant payments backed by your stock value.”

While launch details are still under wraps, analysts opine that the exchange will lean on Base to tokenize the stocks. Already, Coinbase’s subsidiaries have ticked the regulatory boxes to offer the tokenized versions of US stocks in several jurisdictions.

Upon launch, Coinbase will play second fiddle to its peers that have previously launched tokenized stock trading outside the US. Kraken, Robinhood, and Bybit have begun offering tokenized US equities to investors outside the US, racking up considerable success levels. At the moment, the capitalization of tokenized stocks has exceeded $6.4 billion.

Tokenized stocks have been growing rapidly in 2026. Source: RWA.xyz

All eyes on the SEC for clarity

While US cryptocurrency service providers have found success with tokenized stocks in foreign jurisdictions, the product is not yet available to US consumers. Strict securities regulations and settlement rules are the main stumbling blocks standing in the way of a mainstream launch in the US.

However, the US SEC is tipped to issue exemption guidelines in the coming weeks that will allow tokenized stocks in the US. The exemption will allow companies to experiment with distributed ledger technology (DLT) business models without the need to comply with the SEC’s strict disclosure and investor-protection rules.

However, SEC Chair Paul Atkins noted that the exemptions will be limited, casting doubt on the scale of the tokenized stock offerings in the US. Meanwhile, traditional finance players warn that tokenized stock trading will expose investors to new risks depending on the scale of the exemptions.