Coinbase Introduces Thematic Index Futures for AI, Defense, and China
Coinbase is expanding its trading ecosystem with a new suite of perpetual-style equity index futures. Announced on Thursday, these innovative contracts will allow traders to gain exposure to Artificial Intelligence (AI), U.S. national security, and Chinese tech markets.
Alongside these sector-specific offerings, Coinbase will launch the Tech100 (TEK) contract. This broad index will track the 100 largest companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange.
Trading for these new financial products will officially open on June 8. The contracts will trade on Coinbase Derivatives, a marketplace regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Understanding Coinbase’s Thematic Contracts
These perpetual-style offerings use dynamic funding rates to closely mirror their underlying indexes. Additionally, they provide retail and institutional investors with around-the-clock market access.
The thematic contracts utilize MarketVector’s specialized indexes. Each contract targets the 10 largest or most liquid companies in that specific field:
- China10 (CHN): Tracks the top 10 US-listed American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) of major Chinese firms, including Alibaba, Baidu, and JD.com.
- AI10: Monitors businesses earning at least 50% of their revenue from AI data, software, and infrastructure. Key components include Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Oracle, and Palantir.
- Defense10: Focuses on the top 10 U.S. companies driving national security and defense tech.
Interestingly, some market leaders overlap across these categories. For instance, Alibaba appears on both the AI and China indexes, while Palantir is included in both the AI and Defense segments.
Coinbase Accelerates Growth in Derivatives Trading
This launch highlights Coinbase’s aggressive expansion into the global derivatives market. The crypto exchange first introduced its specialized crypto perpetual futures in July 2025.
In March, the platform successfully rolled out individual equity futures for the “Magnificent 7” tech stocks, which include Apple, Tesla, and Microsoft.
Strategic Outlook: Coinbase also bridges traditional finance and Web3 via its “Mag7 + Crypto Equity Index Futures.” This product tracks the biggest tech giants simultaneously alongside BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs.
