Coinbase names Centrifuge its preferred tokenization backbone — and takes an equity stake!

Centrifuge will serve as the default issuance layer for tokenized assets across Coinbase's ecosystem, including Base, after the exchange selected it as preferred tokenization infrastructure and made a strategic investment in the firm. The first institutional assets — spanning ETFs, credit, and structured products — are expected to launch on Base within weeks.

Centrifuge already carries serious institutional weight: it powers on-chain strategies for Apollo, Janus Henderson, and S&P Dow Jones Indices, and crossed $1.66 billion in total value locked as of mid-2025. The deal gives Coinbase a credible infrastructure partner for outside asset managers looking to issue products on-chain.

The move lands as tokenized real-world assets have grown to roughly $27 billion on-chain, with tokenized treasuries and fixed income accounting for around $16 billion of that. Centrifuge CEO Bhaji Illuminati…