Coinbase just made a big move that could change how people trade everything from stocks to crypto in one place. The company acquired The Clearing Company to support its expansion into prediction markets, bringing Wall Street-level clearing services to a space that’s been pretty fragmented until now.
This deal fits perfectly with Coinbase‘s ambitious “Everything Exchange” strategy for 2026. CEO Brian Armstrong wants the platform to become the best place to trade every type of asset, not just cryptocurrency. Think of it like turning Coinbase into a financial supermarket where you can buy crypto, stocks, and even bet on future events all under one roof.
Prediction markets let people trade on the outcomes of real-world events, kind of like making informed guesses about what might happen next. These markets are expected to grow considerably in 2026, partly due to upcoming U.S. tax changes. Coinbase announced its entry into prediction markets on December 18, 2025, positioning itself to capture this expanding opportunity. The transition of prediction markets from experimental to essential financial infrastructure reflects their increasing relevance in sophisticated trading environments.
The acquisition also strengthens Coinbase’s competition with Robinhood‘s financial superapp vision. Both companies want to create platforms where users can handle all their financial needs in one place. The company’s recurring revenue streams from subscriptions and stablecoin activity provide a more stable foundation compared to traditional trading fee models.
Coinbase is leveraging its partnerships with major banks like JPMorgan Chase and Standard Chartered to bridge traditional finance with the crypto world. Understanding annual income from all these diversified revenue sources helps investors evaluate the platform’s overall financial health and earning power.
Looking ahead, Coinbase plans to offer real-world asset perpetuals, which means people could trade derivatives based on things like real estate and commodities. The company is also integrating AI-driven tools and financial planning features to make the platform more appealing to both everyday investors and big institutions.
This move represents a bigger shift happening in 2026, where market structure changes are becoming more important than crypto hype. Coinbase is betting that people want one platform to handle all their trading needs, whether that’s buying Bitcoin, investing in stocks, or predicting election outcomes.
The company is using its Layer 2 network Base and USDC stablecoin as the foundation for this ambitious vision of unified financial services.
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