Coinbase, the leading US cryptocurrency exchange, has appointed former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne to chair its Global Advisory Council. 

The announcement elevates Osborne from his role as an advisor, which he assumed in January 2024.

Osborne will focus on engaging governments globally to advance pro-crypto policies, particularly in areas such as stablecoin payments, tokenised assets in capital markets, and tax clarity in the UK and the EU.

Osborne served as the UK’s finance minister (Chancellor of the Exchequer) from 2010 to 2016.

His tenure was under former Prime Minister David Cameron, and he stepped down after the Brexit referendum. 

During his tenure, he implemented austerity measures to reduce the budget deficit while cutting corporate taxes to stimulate growth.

Since leaving politics, Osborne has built an extensive private-sector portfolio, including chairing the British Museum, serving as a partner at boutique investment bank Robey Warshaw LLP (now part of Evercore), and chairing Lingotto Investment Management.

Just days before the Coinbase announcement, OpenAI revealed on December 15, 2025, that it had hired Osborne to lead its “OpenAI for Countries” initiative.

The former British finance chief will focus on international government relations and overseas data centre expansion under the Stargate program. 

On his appointment to head Coinbase’s advisory council, the ex-UK finance minister said:

“Chairing the Global Advisory Council will give me more opportunity to learn about the revolution that blockchain, stablecoins and tokenisation are bringing to our financial system,” Osborne noted.

As one of the largest cryptocurrency companies, Coinbase has seen tremendous growth.

Its listing in the US catalysed significant traction, and recent milestones mean it continues to solidify its position as a global financial powerhouse.

Founded in 2012, Coinbase has over 100 million users worldwide and offers one of the top platforms for buying, selling, and storing digital assets. It has championed the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies while navigating complex regulatory challenges.

In recent months, Coinbase has made several major announcements signalling its ambition to expand beyond traditional crypto trading.

And on December 17, 2025, at its “System Update” event in San Francisco, the company unveiled plans to introduce stock trading on its platform, allowing users to trade major stocks and ETFs.

It also launched prediction markets through a partnership with Kalshi, enabling bets on real-world events.

Additional features include expanded tools for businesses via Coinbase Business, custom stablecoins, asset tokenization platforms, and AI-powered financial advisors.

Coinbase’s plans include advancing its business beyond an “everything exchange,” as it diversifies revenue streams. 

“A new era of Coinbase is here,” said Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong via X. “I want us to be the #1 financial services app in the world. With our new releases like stock trading and prediction markets, our financial management tools that outperform traditional alternatives, and our crypto as a service offerings, we’re positioned to make this a reality.”

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