Digital asset infrastructure provider Copper has established a regulated US presence after Copper Markets (US) Inc. became an SEC-registered broker-dealer and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). According to Copper's Wednesday announcement, the company's US subsidiary has been accepted as a FINRA member, giving Copper a regulated entity through which it can bring its custody, collateral and trading infrastructure to institutional clients in the United States. FINRA BrokerCheck records show Copper Markets with an approved SEC registration status dated August 7, with FINRA identified as the company's self-regulatory organization. FINRA records also identify personnel registered with Copper Markets (US), including staff working across finance, compliance, operations and revenue functions. The regulatory approval establishes Copper as a qualified custodian in the US, enhancing its competitive position among digital asset service providers targeting institutional investors.
The US arm will offer qualified custody, staking, financing and over-the-counter services to institutional clients, as reported by Copper. Institutional clients will also gain access to Copper's ClearLoop Network, its infrastructure for managing collateral while assets remain in custody. Under the model, institutions can pledge crypto and tokenized assets as collateral between counterparties without relying on the conventional process of moving the assets to a trading venue before each transaction. The platform allows institutions to pledge and move crypto and tokenized assets as collateral between counterparties, designed to limit the amount of capital institutions need to hold directly on exchanges, where assets can be exposed to exchange-specific counterparty risks. As an SEC-registered broker-dealer, Copper Markets (US) Inc. can participate in securities markets and supports activities involving tokenized securities, capital raising, and institutional financial services, subject to applicable regulatory requirements.
ClearLoop forms a major part of the infrastructure Copper is bringing to its US operation, launched in 2020. The system allows institutional traders to delegate assets for trading while keeping them within Copper's custody framework, with settlement handled separately after trades take place. The move gives Copper a regulated operating base in the US as competition intensifies among digital asset service providers targeting institutional investors. It also strengthens the company's ability to position custody, collateral mobility and trading services within a market where compliance status remains a key factor for adoption. Copper has spent several years connecting ClearLoop with exchanges and other institutional trading providers, including a February 2025 arrangement with BitGo that allowed institutional clients to trade spot and derivatives on Deribit while assets remained secured away from the exchange. Through the ClearLoop Network, Copper Markets (Switzerland) AG currently connects institutional clients with trading venues including Coinbase International Exchange, Kraken MTF, Deribit, OKX, and Bybit, enabling near real-time settlement on Copper's infrastructure.
Staking is another part of the service package Copper plans to offer through its US operation, extending a business line developed through several infrastructure partnerships. In March 2025, Copper partnered with Figment to provide institutional staking across networks including Ethereum, Solana and Polkadot. The company expanded its staking infrastructure through a partnership with P2P.org in April 2025, combining Copper's custody and prime services with P2P.org's staking infrastructure and rebalancing technology for institutional users across multiple blockchain networks. Copper's registration comes as several digital asset companies have pursued regulated custody structures in the United States through broker-dealers, state trust companies and federally supervised trust banks. As a FINRA member, Copper Markets (US) Inc. is subject to ongoing supervision, examination, and conduct rules within the U.S. securities framework.
