George Osborne Joins Coinbase: Crypto Meets Politics in a Big Way

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In a move that no doubt has every cryptocurrency enthusiast clutching their coffee a little tighter, Coinbase-America’s titan of digital coin trading-has decided to tap into the political goldmine by appointing none other than George Osborne, the former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, to sit on their advisory council. Imagine the conference room: blockchain experts, high-tech whizzes, and now a former bigwig who used to count beans in Britain’s treasury, telling everyone how to run the show.

Osborne, who first dipped his toes into Coinbase’s icy waters in 2024 amidst a lively battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, is, according to the trendiest news sources like Reuters, the latest pawn in Coinbase’s grand plan to win hearts, minds, and maybe influence foreign governments. Because nothing says “we’re serious” like a politician-turned-advisor in the crypto space, right?

He announced his new role with the enthusiasm of someone discovering they’re getting a free vacation, describing it as a “learning opportunity.” Because what’s more educational than sitting in a room full of tech dudes and crypto fans, listening to them talk about blockchain revolution while secretly wondering if it’s all just about making money? He said:

“Serving on Coinbase’s advisory council for over two years, I have seen the blockchain revolution and the potential to spread ownership to many left behind by the system. Chairing it is an amazing opportunity to learn more.”

George Osborne looks pensively at crypto charts

Meanwhile, in August, Osborne, who clearly doesn’t shy away from stirring the pot, penned an op-ed in the Financial Times criticizing Britain for playing catch-up with crypto regulations. His main gripe? That the UK’s pound-pegged stablecoins are more of a half-hearted attempt than a serious financial innovation, risking the pound turning into a dusty relic while Uncle Sam’s stablecoins gobble up the market, reinforcing the dollar’s throne as the world’s reserve currency – because who needs fresh ideas when you’ve got Uncle Sam’s greenback?

All this appointment occurs at a time when Coinbase is busy flexing its muscles and making acquisitions like crypto derivatives exchange Deribit. They’re not just dabbling in digital coins anymore but are venturing into the world of traditional assets-because if you can’t beat the system, buy it, or at least try to blend it with crypto. Coinbase aims to be a “one-stop-shop” for all things finance, a kind of digital Swiss Army knife that’s more tech-savvy than a spy novel.

Coinbase wants to be the Swiss Army Knife of Finance

In another clever move, Coinbase announced it’s now offering tokenized stocks and ETFs-think of it as giving your regular shares a dose of steroids, enabling trading 24/7 and even letting you use them as collateral for crypto antics. Because who needs boring, real-world finance when you can have perpetual, 24/7, leverage-laden futures that run forever? Sounds like a dream, or perhaps a nightmare-your call.

Coinbase’s new prediction market platform in action

And for the aspiring prophets out there, Coinbase is partnering with Kalshi to bring prediction markets into the fold, where traders can bet on everything from elections to sporting events. Plus, they’re planning on offering crypto and stock futures with up to 50x leverage sometime in 2026-because nothing screams “stability” like financial fireworks and the thrill of losing your shirt on a market that never sleeps.

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2025-12-19 02:13