%{{tag.tag}} {{articledata.title}} {{moment(articledata.cdate)}} @{{articledata.company.replace(" ","")}} comment %Coinbase ($COIN ) has been approved to offer %Cryptocurrency futures trading to retail investors in the U.S. The approval to offer futures trading to individual investors in the U.S. is seen as a major victory for Coinbase as it is embroiled in a heated legal battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Going forward, Coinbase will be able to offer Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) futures directly to individual investors who are customers of its U.S. exchange. Until now, only institutional clients of Coinbase could trade cryptocurrency futures products. The approval was granted by the National Futures Association (NFA), a self-regulatory organization designated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The win comes as Coinbase battles in court with the SEC, which in a lawsuit has accused Coinbase of operating illegally because it failed to register as a securities exchange. Being able to offer cryptocurrency futures directly to retail investors could now enable Coinbase to expand into a largely untapped market with individual investors and traders, the company said in a news release. Global derivatives represent nearly 80% of the entire cryptocurrency market, with leveraged bets on futures often causing volatility. In July, cryptocurrency derivatives trading volumes totaled $1.85 trillion U.S., according to market data. Coinbase’s stock rose 3% on news of the futures trading approval. The company’s share price has declined 8% over the last 12 months to trade at $79 U.S.