Coinbase has formally requested both the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish clear regulations for equity perpetual futures, also known as real-world asset tokenization. The exchange wants these products classified as “security futures” and seeks streamlined licensing for entities already registered with either regulator. The request comes as RWA perpetuals have grown significantly offshore, with open interest surging from $1 billion to $4.5 billion in 2026. Coinbase’s chief policy officer emphasized the need to address jurisdictional overlaps to bring this activity onshore safely for U.S. consumers.
Coinbase has formally requested that U.S. regulators treat equity perpetual futures as “security futures,” aiming to bring clarity to a rapidly growing offshore market. The exchange filed its response after regulators called for public input on how to classify these products.
Coinbase wants any entity registered with either the SEC or CFTC to be allowed to list equity perps without applying for extra licenses. Faryar Shirzad, Coinbase’s chief policy officer, said, “It’s crucial that convoluted definitions and jurisdictional overlap be addressed so the US can onshore and regulate activity, safely open up opportunity to US consumers.”
Equity perpetuals allow traders to take leveraged positions on tokenized stocks and ETFs. Analysts view them as a better hedging tool for crypto natives and less sophisticated investors compared to options.
The Hyperliquid Policy Center also made a similar plea to regulators this week. According to HPC, the U.S. lost its lead on perps because the CFTC failed to clearly define whether they are futures or swaps.
The group noted that approval of Kalshi and Coinbase’s crypto perps marked the beginning of regulatory clarity. HPC wants regulators to expand those guidelines to equity perps.
Most Hyperliquid trading volume is currently skewed towards equity and commodity perps. The firm seeks regulated entry into the U.S., and treating equity perps as security futures would work in its interest.
However, incumbents may challenge such a position in court. The CME sued the CFTC over Kalshi’s bitcoin perps approval.
RWA perps have grown fourfold, with open interest rising from $1 billion in Q1 to over $4 billion as of Q3. The segment is dominated by public equities, followed by metals, ETFs, and oil.
