Coinbase Derivatives Expands to 24/7 Altcoin Futures Trading

Coinbase Derivatives has taken another major step in expanding access to crypto derivatives by enabling 24/7 trading for monthly futures contracts across a wide range of popular altcoins. Traders can now open and close futures positions at any time on assets such as Shiba Inu (SHIB), Avalanche (AVAX), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Cardano (ADA), Chainlink (LINK), Dogecoin (DOGE), Hedera (HBAR), Litecoin (LTC), and Stellar (XLM), among others. This round-the-clock accessibility marks a significant shift from the previous time-restricted futures trading windows, offering more flexibility for retail and institutional traders alike.

Monthly futures contracts allow market participants to speculate on the future price of a cryptocurrency without owning the underlying asset. By removing trading-hour limitations, Coinbase is aligning more closely with the nonstop nature of global crypto markets, giving traders enhanced opportunities to manage risk, hedge positions, or capitalize on volatility.

The latest expansion follows Coinbase’s initial move toward “always-on” derivatives earlier this year. On May 9, the exchange rolled out 24/7 trading for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) futures in the U.S., allowing traders to enter or exit leveraged positions at any moment. Coinbase also introduced “perpetual-style” futures for BTC and ETH, which mirror offshore perpetual swaps by using a funding-rate mechanism that keeps contract prices tethered to spot market values.

Coinbase says it is “not stopping there.” Starting December 15, the company plans to launch U.S. perpetual-style futures for multiple altcoins. Unlike monthly futures, these perpetual contracts do not expire, enabling traders to hold leveraged positions indefinitely while continuously tracking spot prices through funding-rate adjustments.

This expansion positions Coinbase Derivatives to compete more aggressively with offshore platforms and meets growing demand for accessible, regulated crypto futures markets.