EU CRYPTO DERIVATIVES · COINBASE · LAST VERIFIED
Is Coinbase MiFID II-authorised for crypto derivatives in the European Union?
Coinbase's European derivatives entity (Coinbase Financial Services Europe Ltd.) is recorded as an authorised investment firm under Directive 2014/65/EU (MiFID II), authorised by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
Verdict: Coinbase holds a MiFID II authorisation for crypto derivatives in the EEA.
| Authorised legal entity | Coinbase Financial Services Europe Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Home Member State | Cyprus |
| National Competent Authority | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) |
| Authorisation reference | 374/19 |
| Authorising statute | MiFID II (Investment Services and Activities and Regulated Markets Law, transposing MiFID II in Cyprus) |
| EEA product launch | |
| Live retail product status | Live for crypto futures and equity index futures via Coinbase Advanced across 26 EEA countries |
| Products offered to EEA users | Crypto futures (BTC, ETH), Magnificent Seven equity-linked futures, and Crypto Equity Index futures. Up to 10x leverage. Offered via Coinbase Advanced across 26 EEA countries, margined in EUR or stablecoin. |
Source: CySEC Public Register - Coinbase Financial Services Europe Ltd., CIF 374/19 (regulator-published). Verified 30 June 2026.
What can Coinbase legally offer EEA derivatives users?
Coinbase Financial Services Europe Ltd. is authorised by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) under MiFID II. The specific investment-service permissions held determine which products the firm can legally provide. Each permission is granted at the firm level by the national regulator.
What does this mean for me as a user of Coinbase?
If you use Coinbase for crypto derivatives in the EEA, you are contracting with Coinbase Financial Services Europe Ltd., a Cyprus-authorised investment firm under MiFID II. That means the protections set out in Title II of MiFID II apply to your relationship: client-asset segregation under Article 16(8), a mandatory appropriateness assessment before complex products are offered to retail clients (Article 25(3)), and best-execution obligations (Article 27).
This is structurally different from the regulatory status of crypto derivatives offered globally on bybit.com, binance.com, or other non-EEA platforms. Those platforms operate under non-EEA legal entities and the MiFID II protections do not apply to your relationship with them.
What about Coinbase's spot crypto business?
Coinbase operates the spot crypto business through a separate legal entity: Coinbase Luxembourg S.A., authorised under MiCA by Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). The MiCA authorisation covers spot trading, custody, fiat conversion, and the other crypto-asset services defined in Article 3(1)(16) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114. It does not cover derivatives.
See the full MiCA spot profile: Coinbase MiCA status →
Does Coinbase also issue a crypto card?
Coinbase is one of the brands in our card register. A crypto card is a separate product from derivatives: it is issued by an e-money or banking partner, not under MiFID II. We record who actually issues the Coinbase card, which regulator authorises that issuer, what protects your balance, and the issuer's own published fees with the exact source shown for each figure.
See the full card profile: Who issues the Coinbase card and what protects your money →
How does Coinbase compare to the other MiFID II-authorised crypto-derivative firms in our register?
As of , six firms in our v2 register hold MiFID II authorisations covering crypto derivatives in the EEA: Kraken (CySEC Cyprus, CIF 342/17), Coinbase (CySEC Cyprus, CIF 374/19), OKX (MFSA Malta), Crypto.com (CySEC Cyprus, CIF 344/17), Bitstamp (ATVP Slovenia MTF) and Bitpanda (FMA Austria CFDs). Kraken, Coinbase, and OKX have verified live retail products. The other three hold the relevant licences with the live-status nuance explained on each profile page.
Frequently asked questions about Coinbase and MiFID II
Is Coinbase legally allowed to offer me crypto derivatives in the EU?
Yes. Coinbase Financial Services Europe Ltd. holds a MiFID II authorisation from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), reference 374/19. The authorisation passports across all 30 EEA member states.
What protections does the MiFID II authorisation give me when I trade with Coinbase?
Client-asset segregation under Article 16(8), an appropriateness assessment before complex products are offered (Article 25(3)), best execution under Article 27, and access to the home-state Investor Compensation Scheme. See the full MiFID II protections explainer.
Does Coinbase require KYC and an experience check before I can trade?
Yes. MiFID II Article 25(3) requires an appropriateness assessment for retail clients trading complex products. You complete a short questionnaire on knowledge and experience. The firm records the result and uses it to determine product access.
How does The Crypto Register verify MiFID II authorisations?
Every MiFID II authorisation claim on this site is verified against at least two primary sources: the firm's own published regulatory disclosures, plus an independent regulator or press source. Our full methodology describes the verification process. Corrections welcome at our contact page.
Sources cited on this page
All facts on this page are verified against at least two primary sources per our methodology. Corrections welcome at our contact page.