Coinbase has expanded its U.S. trading platform by giving eligible retail customers access to IPO allocations before shares begin public trading. The exchange launched the service with Ouras IPO, allowing customers to request shares at the offering price. The move pushes Coinbase further into traditional financial markets while broadening its planned “Everything Exchange” strategy.
Retail Investors Gain IPO Access
Customers can access active offerings through a dedicated IPO section within the Coinbase app. They must fund their accounts before submitting requests once companies disclose expected price ranges. Consequently, Coinbase can collect customer demand before the stock begins trading publicly.
Moreover, the allocation process depends on available shares and total investor demand. Customers may receive full, partial, or no allocations. Additionally, Coinbase allows customers to cancel and resubmit requests during the offering period.
Coinbase also uses holding behavior when determining future allocations. Customers who sell IPO shares within 30 days may face temporary participation restrictions.
Coinbase Builds Traditional Finance Products
Coinbase Capital Markets handles the service through its FINRA-registered broker-dealer operation. Apex Clearing provides execution, clearing, and custody services for customer transactions.
Besides IPO allocations, Coinbase has expanded into stocks, ETFs, options, and pre-IPO products. Earlier this year, it launched pre-IPO perpetual futures for eligible non-U.S. customers.
However, those contracts provide synthetic exposure rather than company ownership. Coinbase also recently sought regulatory approval for equity perpetuals, signaling further expansion beyond cryptocurrency markets.