The line between traditional finance and crypto continues to blur as Coinbase launches 24/7 trading for U.S.-regulated gold and silver futures. Eligible U.S. traders can now access gold and silver futures nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week through Coinbase Derivatives Exchange, with contracts sized at one troy ounce of gold and 50 troy ounces of silver. This marks the first time such contracts are available around the clock, including weekends and holidays, a departure from traditional commodity markets' limited trading windows.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong highlighted the launch in a social media post, calling it another world first for the company. The move fits into Coinbase's broader strategy to create an 'Everything Exchange,' expanding beyond digital assets into perpetual futures, stock-linked products, and now precious metals. Participating brokers include Interactive Brokers and NinjaTrader, offering traders new flexibility to react to economic events and geopolitical developments in real time.
Gold and silver remain massive markets, with global valuations exceeding $13 trillion and $1 trillion respectively. Demand for both has stayed strong amid inflation concerns and geopolitical tensions. By lowering contract sizes and offering continuous trading, Coinbase aims to make commodity exposure more accessible to both retail and professional traders. For non-U.S. users, Coinbase already offers gold and silver perpetual futures settled in USDC.
This launch represents a significant step in blending traditional asset trading with crypto's always-on infrastructure, potentially reshaping how commodities and other financial products are traded in the future.
