Why Coinbase Is Pushing for Permissionless Tokenization
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The report makes a sharp distinction between tokenization in general and permissionless tokenization in particular. Coinbase argues that closed, permissioned blockchain systems often replicate the same power dynamics as traditional finance, where a small group of gatekeepers decides who can issue assets, who can trade them and under what conditions.
By contrast, the report likens permissionless blockchain rails to foundational internet protocols like TCP/IP. Anyone can build on them, access isn’t quietly revoked and interoperability is baked in by default. In Coinbase’s view, only open systems give smaller investors and issuers a realistic chance to participate directly in capital markets rather than remaining dependent on intermediaries.