- Coinbase expanded into nonstop regulated altcoin futures trading.
- New U.S. perpetual-style futures aim to pull liquidity from offshore venues.
Coinbase Markets plans to launch continuous trading for futures tied to major altcoins on December 5. The expansion will cover assets such as Shiba Inu, Bitcoin Cash and Dogecoin, adding to the platform’s existing 24/7 markets for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and XRP.
According to Coindesk, The exchange introduced nonstop BTC and ETH futures earlier this year, then followed with long-dated contracts in July. Those steps positioned Coinbase as the first large U.S. venue to offer such structures under a regulated framework. The latest additions extend that model into a wider set of tokens.
Beyond the new schedule, Coinbase is preparing to launch U.S. perpetual-style futures for the same altcoins. These contracts replicate how offshore perpetual swaps track spot prices, using funding payments to align futures levels with the underlying asset.
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Five-Year Perpetual-Style Futures In The Pipeline
In a notable change, Coinbase plans a fixed five-year settlement, replacing the open-ended format common on platforms such as Binance and Bybit. This hybrid structure offers institutions a familiar price mechanism without adopting the unrestricted perpetual style that U.S. regulators have challenged in the past.
Most liquidity for non-BTC and non-ETH futures remains offshore. Binance and Bybit dominate volumes, partly due to looser product design and broader token coverage.
Coinbase aims to provide an alternative for traders seeking deeper rulebooks, clearer oversight and institutional-grade access. Analysts say the shift could attract order flow over time. Volatile funding rates and heightened regulatory scrutiny have already prompted some firms to re-evaluate their exposure to offshore venues.
If Coinbase succeeds in building liquidity, its extended futures suite may help repatriate a segment of the derivatives market that largely migrated abroad in recent years.
