Coinbase rolls out 10x spot leverage, but blocks US retail from it

Coinbase plans to introduce spot borrowing with up to 10x leverage, letting eligible traders borrow against collateral to buy crypto on spot markets, but US customers who do not qualify as Eligible Contract Participants will be excluded.

The exchange's Oct. 7 announcement puts the rollout in the coming weeks. Access will depend on customer eligibility and selected jurisdictions, but Coinbase does not identify those countries, so availability cannot be assumed for every trader outside the US.

For US individuals, a 2021 statement by a commissioner at the CFTC, the US derivatives regulator, describes discretionary investments exceeding $10 million in aggregate, or exceeding $5 million when the transaction is for risk management purposes. That distinction puts the planned service beyond ordinary US retail access.

The restriction applies specifically to spot borrowing, and Coinbase says the product is offered by affiliates and is separate from Coinbase Financial Markets, which offers US derivatives.

For US customers, the margin lenders will be Coinbase Custody International Limited or Coinbase Credit, Inc., even though traders would manage spot borrowing and derivatives exposure through a shared margin portfolio.

Coinbase completed the Deribit migration on Oct. 2, setting the stage for Coinbase's expansion, while the spot-margin plan adds a distinct borrowing option for eligible customers.

Collateral remains exposed

For customers who qualify, Coinbase sets maximum leverage at 10x on selected major assets and 5x on other supported assets.

The company says traders can post collateral in more than 15 supported assets, with those holdings remaining on Coinbase. Loan balances, collateral levels, and margin health will be visible in real time across open borrows.

Keeping collateral on the platform does not protect it from a forced sale. Coinbase warns that borrowed trading magnifies losses as well as gains, that collateral can be liquidated without notice, and that losses can exceed the initial deposit.

The announcement leaves borrowing rates, collateral valuation haircuts, or discounts applied to pledged assets, and liquidation thresholds unspecified. Those terms determine the cost of using the service and when collateral is at risk.