Coinbase plans to place a strong emphasis on stablecoins, its Ethereum layer-2 network Base, and the expansion of its exchange beyond cryptocurrencies throughout 2026, according to CEO Brian Armstrong.
In a New Year’s post on social media, Armstrong reiterated Coinbase’s vision of becoming an “everything exchange.” This strategy goes beyond digital assets and includes products such as prediction markets, equities, and commodities.
During its year-end conference in December, Coinbase introduced stock trading and prediction markets as part of this broader push. The company has also rebranded its wallet into an “everything app,” adding social features and onchain functionality designed to increase user engagement.
Coinbase is not alone in this shift. Competing crypto exchanges are increasingly bundling multiple services in an effort to evolve into full-scale “super apps.”
A recent report from Delphi Digital highlighted that platforms such as Coinbase, OKX, and Binance are quietly transforming into distribution layers for a wide range of digital financial tools rather than remaining crypto-only platforms.
Moving toward the everything-exchange model
The rollout of stock trading within Coinbase’s main application has been described by company executives as a major milestone. The feature is intended to enable 24/7 trading of stocks and ETFs alongside cryptocurrencies, all within a single interface.
Coinbase has also launched onchain prediction markets through a partnership with Kalshi. This allows users to place bets on real-world events directly from the platform. In addition, the company has signaled plans to introduce 24/7 perpetual futures for both crypto assets and traditional stocks.
These developments are pushing crypto exchanges deeper into territory traditionally occupied by retail brokerages and derivatives platforms, rather than serving solely as crypto on-ramps.
Stablecoins and payments as core infrastructure
Stablecoins represent the second major pillar of Coinbase’s long-term strategy. The company has positioned them as essential financial infrastructure for remittances, payroll, and settlement systems.
Armstrong has suggested that banks will eventually demand interest-bearing stablecoin products, viewing them as a natural evolution of digital money within the traditional financial system.
Security and trust remain open questions
Not all aspects of Coinbase’s expansion have been met with approval. Base’s handling of creator coins has faced criticism from developers, some of whom argue that the network is prioritizing viral growth over long-term sustainability. This criticism comes despite Coinbase highlighting creators as a key onboarding channel.
Coinbase’s vice president of engineering, Jesse Pollak, has stated that SocialFi remains a strategic priority for the company.
Community feedback has also revived ongoing concerns around platform security and customer support. In 2025, Coinbase disclosed that cybercriminals had bribed overseas customer support agents to gain access to customer data. The incident sparked renewed scrutiny over outsourced support operations and the risks associated with data-intensive KYC processes.
