Coinbase kicks off live trading competition with $150,000 on the line

Coinbase has turned perpetual futures trading into a spectator sport. Its in-person trading competition is now underway, and one trader will leave with $150,000 and the title of Coinbase Champion.

The setting is a Singapore nightclub, not a trading floor. Apparently the exchange decided that if you are going to watch people stare at charts, you might as well add a DJ.

The event, called Coinbase Champions, is the exchange’s first esports-style trading tournament held in real life. It lands in the middle of Token2049 week, when much of the crypto industry is already gathered in Singapore.

How the competition works

Ten well-known crypto traders are competing live on Coinbase Advanced, the exchange’s platform for more experienced users. They are trading perpetual futures for a prize pool totaling $150,000.

Perpetual futures are contracts that let traders bet on where an asset’s price is headed without ever owning the asset, and unlike traditional futures, they have no expiry date.

The schedule for October 8, 2026 was set in Singapore time. Doors opened at 7:30 PM SGT, with trading starting at 8:30 PM SGT.

Taiki Maeda of Steady Labs is hosting the tournament. For viewers who could not get into the club, the whole thing is being streamed globally on X.

Once the trading wraps, the night shifts into an after-party featuring a set from DJ MYRNE.

Who is in the arena

Coinbase rolled out the participant lineup through social media posts in September 2026. Its promotional push on X ran from early to mid-September.

The names announced include Ansem, Jez, Intern and Gou Penguin. Also on the list is Ao Ying, a prominent copy-trader.

Copy-trading is when other users automatically mirror a trader’s positions. A copy-trader with a big following is essentially managing a crowd’s attention as well as their own account, which raises the stakes of performing in public.

From regional cups to a nightclub stage

This is not Coinbase’s first trading competition. Earlier in the year, the exchange ran the Coinbase Champions Cup in India, a regional event that kicked off in July 2026 and boasted a ₹3.3 crore prize pool.

The Singapore tournament marks a step up in format. Coinbase is moving from regional contests toward a live, in-person show built around an audience, a host and a broadcast.

What this means for Coinbase and its users

The flip side is worth keeping in mind. Perpetual futures are leveraged products, and a polished, party-style presentation can make high-risk trading look like a game, which it is not for anyone outside the arena.

For casual viewers, the show is entertainment. For anyone inspired to follow the champions into perps, the lesson is that the prize money in Singapore is fixed, while losses on a personal account are not.

Disclosure: This article was edited by John Chen. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.