Coinbase US plans to list Shiba Inu futures and 4 other altcoin futures

Coinbase to Offer Shiba Inu Futures on Its Platform

Coinbase Derivatives Exchange has submitted an application to the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to list Shiba Inu futures on its platform. Dated June 28, 2024, the letter expresses the intention to have the futures contract listed by July 15.

In addition to Shiba Inu, Coinbase has also applied to list futures contracts for four other altcoins: Polkadot (DOT), Stellar's (XLM), Chainlink's (LINK), and Avalanche (AVAX). If approved, the number of regulated crypto futures offerings on Coinbase will increase to eight.

Shiba Inu to Join DOGE as a Memecoin with Regulated Futures

As per the application, the Shib futures will be a monthly cash-settled and margined contract, with a size of 10 million SHIB to account for its price and supply. The minimum tick size and tick value will be $0.00001 per SHIB and $0.10 per contract, respectively.

Upon listing, Shiba Inu will join Dogecoin as a memecoin with a regulated futures contract. Coinbase acknowledges the token's volatility due to its low market cap and meme status, but remarks that similar volatility has been successfully managed in existing products.

Compliance with CEA Core Principles

Coinbase outlines in its application how the futures contract will comply with the core principles of the Commodities Exchange Act (CEA). This includes preventing market manipulation and disruption. The maximum number of positions in the contract is also limited to 30,000.

Coinbase's Self-Certification Strategy

Coinbase is applying under CFTC Regulation 40.2(a), which allows designated contract markets (DCMs) to list commodities products for trading without CFTC vetting. The DCM must demonstrate that the product does not violate CEA or CFTC regulations.

By utilizing this strategy, Coinbase can list future contracts for crypto products by submitting an application and waiting for the deadline to pass without objections from the CFTC. Coinbase acquired FairX in 2022 and rebranded to Coinbase Derivatives in 2022, receiving approval from the National Futures Association in 2023.