Coinbase Appoints Ex-Chancellor George Osborne to Lead Global Advisory Council, Accelerating EU/UK Regulatory Push
Coinbase has named former UK chancellor George Osborne as chair of its Global Advisory Council to strengthen the exchange’s policy and regulatory engagement in the UK and EU. Osborne, who has advised Coinbase since 2024 and served on the council for more than two years, will lead discussions with regulators on stablecoin payments, tokenized financial products, crypto taxation and cross-border market access. The appointment follows Coinbase’s broader international expansion, including its acquisition of derivatives venue Deribit and product initiatives such as stock tokenization, prediction markets (via a partnership with Kalshi) and plans to launch perpetual futures by 2026. Coinbase framed the move as part of efforts to secure clearer rules and smoother market entry for its tokenized stocks, prediction markets and leveraged derivatives. For traders, the development signals potentially increased lobbying success that could affect trading hours, liquidity, leverage options and stablecoin usage in the UK/EU — watch for product rollouts and regulatory guidance that may influence trading volumes and cross-border flows.
Neutral
Appointment of a high-profile regulator-side advisor like George Osborne is primarily a structural and regulatory development rather than a direct product launch or liquidity infusion. In the short term, the market impact on crypto prices (including major tokens) is likely limited because this is an organizational move focused on policy and lobbying. For Coinbase-specific trading instruments (tokenized stocks, prediction markets, planned perpetual futures), the news may be viewed positively by traders anticipating clearer rules and easier market access — potentially bullish for future product uptake and liquidity when those products go live. However, until concrete regulatory changes or product launches occur, effects on trading volumes and prices should remain muted. Over the longer term, successful regulatory engagement could be bullish for Coinbase’s native trading volumes and for markets that rely on stablecoin rails and tokenized assets in the UK/EU; conversely, failure to secure favorable rules or regulatory pushback could limit those upside effects. Overall, immediate price reaction is likely neutral, with a conditional bullish bias contingent on subsequent product rollouts and regulatory outcomes.