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Coinbase wants to expand its Canadian platform beyond cryptocurrency trading, but says the country needs clearer and more permanent digital asset rules first. Coinbase Canada CEO Eric Richmond said the company plans to offer products such as crypto derivatives, tokenized assets and decentralized finance services.
The wider plan is to create an “everything exchange” where Canadians can manage several types of financial assets in one place. Coinbase is already registered as a restricted dealer across Canada, but some advanced products still require separate exemptions or additional regulatory approval.
Coinbase Plans More Products for Canadian Users
Coinbase wants to offer Canadian customers more of the financial services available on its U.S. platform. These include tokenized financial assets, DeFi products and a wider range of crypto derivatives. Richmond said:
“We want to have all your financial services in one place.”
He added that the platform should operate continuously and make transactions easier for users. Coinbase also wants to offer selected crypto futures through Coinbase Financial Markets, its U.S.-regulated derivatives business. The company has received an international exemption for some permitted Canadian customers, but wider retail access would require more approvals.
Temporary Exemptions Delay New Product Launches
Canada was an early market for spot crypto exchange-traded funds and introduced registration rules for crypto platforms. However, much of the current system still depends on regulatory notices, interim guidance and exemptions given to individual companies.
Richmond wants Canada to replace that approach with permanent rules designed specifically for digital assets. He said a single national framework would give companies clearer requirements across every province and territory.
The difference already affects Canadian customers. Coinbase One users in the U.S. can access a stablecoin lending product offering about 7% APY, while Canadian customers can receive up to 4.5% APY for holding USDC.
Coinbase Calls for Consistent Crypto Rules Across Canada
Richmond supports creating a national instrument that would align crypto rules across Canada’s provincial securities regulators. This would reduce the need for companies to follow different approval processes in each province.
Canada has already passed stablecoin legislation and supports regulated crypto trading platforms. Coinbase says the next step is to create rules covering payments, derivatives, tokenized securities and DeFi products.
The company currently lets Canadian customers trade more than 200 digital assets and fund accounts through Interac e-Transfer, bank transfers, PayPal and supported cards. Coinbase’s plans to add more financial products will depend on the rules introduced by Canadian regulators.
