Coinbase has transformed perpetual futures trading into a live spectator event with the launch of Coinbase Champions, the exchange's first esports-style in-person trading tournament. The competition took place in Singapore during Token2049 week, with ten established crypto traders competing on Coinbase Advanced for a combined prize pool of $150,000.
The event was held in a Singapore nightclub rather than a traditional trading floor. Trading commenced at 8:30 PM Singapore time on October 8, 2026, following doors opening at 7:30 PM. The competition was hosted by Taiki Maeda of Steady Labs and streamed globally on X for viewers unable to attend in person. The evening concluded with an after-party featuring a DJ set.
Competition Format
Participants traded perpetual futures contracts, which allow traders to speculate on asset price movements without owning the underlying asset. Unlike traditional futures, perpetual contracts have no expiry date. Competitors included traders known as Ansem, Jez, Intern, Gou Penguin, and Ao Ying, a prominent copy-trader whose positions are automatically mirrored by other users.
Expansion from Regional Events
Coinbase Champions represents an escalation from the exchange's earlier trading competitions. Earlier in 2026, Coinbase ran the Coinbase Champions Cup in India, a regional event that launched in July with a prize pool of ₹3.3 crore. The Singapore tournament marks Coinbase's move toward larger, live in-person events with dedicated audiences and broadcast capabilities.
Risk Considerations
Perpetual futures are leveraged products that carry significant risk. While the prize money at the tournament is fixed, individual traders face potentially substantial losses when trading on personal accounts.
