Written by Stephen Katte, Staff Writer. Reviewed by Felix Ng, Staff Editor. Coinbase plans expansion to stock trading in Australia after securing license
The approval puts Coinbase under Australia’s financial rules as the country formalizes oversight of crypto platforms.
Update April 10, 1 am UTC: This article has been updated to include a response from John O'Loghlen.
Coinbase is planning to expand its offerings in Australia to include derivatives, equities and payments after securing an Australian financial services license (AFSL).
John O'Loghlen, regional managing director for APAC at Coinbase, told Cointelegraph that the Australian financial services license (AFSL) will initially allow the exchange to offer crypto and equity perpetuals and open the door to futures, options, and other traditional financial products.
“We’re going to compete with traditional financial services on stock trading, payments and other TradFi products with the speed and execution of crypto,” O'Loghlen said.
”In the first instance, we're focused on bringing crypto and equity perpetuals to Australian customers. Beyond that, we'll continue to expand our product suite in line with our licensing and any applicable regulatory requirements,” he added.
Holding an AFSL subjects Coinbase to the same standards of conduct, disclosure, governance and consumer protection that apply to traditional financial services providers, marking a significant milestone in Australia’s push to establish a dedicated regulatory framework for digital assets.
Source: Coinbase
Licensing legislation takes effect 12 months after assent
The Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill 2025 passed both houses of the Australian Parliament on April 1 and requires crypto operators, including exchanges to hold an AFSL. The bill is now waiting for royal assent, the final step before becoming law. It’s set to take effect 12 months after assent.
O'Loghlen said the bill's passage provides clarity about the industry's future and is good for crypto firms and investors who want to know the guardrails are in place.
“That said, there's still work to do. Stablecoin regulation is the obvious gap Australia needs a clear framework, and we'd like to see policymakers move on that with the same intent they've shown on exchange licensing. We're encouraged by the direction of travel, but it's an area we'll continue to engage on actively,” he added.
In February, crypto executives, including O'Loghlen, told Cointelegraph that Australia’s crypto market is making progress in user growth and regulatory reforms, but there are still a range of issues to iron out.
Crypto exchange Independent Reserve's Cryptocurrency Index estimates that 33% of Australians have exposure to cryptocurrency, up from 31% in 2025, among a population of more than 27.7 million. It also found that a growing number of people are using crypto to pay for goods and services compared with the year before.
An estimated 33% of Australians had exposure to crypto in 2026. Source: Independent Reserve
Coinbase is expanding in Australia with new hires
Along with its AFSL license, Coinbase has been expanding its local team with senior hires across legal, compliance, marketing and operations, drawing from other regulated industries.
O'Loghlen said Australia is an important market globally for Coinbase because
Australians have some of the highest per capita interest in digital assets.
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“Beyond retail interest, there's real capital and talent in the Australian market. What's been missing until now is regulatory certainty,” he added.
“Now the DAP bill has passed, we expect to see meaningful investment and innovation unlock here. Australia has every reason to play a significant role on the global crypto stage, and we think it will.”
In September, Coinbase and crypto exchange competitor OKX introduced services for self-managed superannuation funds in Australia, giving individuals new ways to add crypto to the country’s retirement savings system.
Australia’s total superannuation assets were estimated at around 4.5 trillion Australian dollars ($3.1 trillion) by the end of the third quarter of 2025.
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