Coinbase Q1 2025 Revenue Falls Short of Wall Street Expectations Despite Soaring Bitcoin Market

Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) reported a disappointing set of first-quarter earnings on Thursday, missing revenue estimates despite a surging crypto market and announcing a multibillion-dollar acquisition to expand aggressively into the derivatives space.

The largest U.S. public cryptocurrency exchange posted revenue of $2.03 billion, falling short of the $2.2 billion forecast by analysts and marking a 10% decline from the previous quarter. Despite this, Bitcoin (BTC) nearly touched $100,000 during the quarter, highlighting a surprising divergence between market prices and trading volumes.

Coinbase Q1 Earnings SummaryRevenue: $2.03B vs. $2.20B Exp; Net Income: $527M vs. $679M last year; EPS: $1.94 vs. $2.53 last year

Coinbase shares dipped around 3% in after-hours trading following the earnings miss.

Transaction revenue, typically Coinbase’s main source of income, reached $1.26 billion, lagging behind the expected $1.33 billion. Both retail and institutional trading activity appeared to be slower than anticipated. The company attributed this slump to macroeconomic uncertainty and a broader risk-off sentiment fueled by U.S. policy ambiguity, which might have kept investors from engaging in greater numbers.

“Our performance this quarter reflects a cautious tone in the market, especially among retail users, who may be responding to macroeconomic uncertainty and U.S. policy ambiguity with a preference for lower risk-taking behavior. In contrast, we observed strong demand for Coinbase’s products and services among institutional investors, driven by the increasing sophistication of their investment strategies,” Coinbase stated.

Coinbase Buys Deribit For $2.9B Amid Profit Drop

The company’s total revenue still rose year-over-year, increasing from $1.64 billion in Q1 2024. Coinbase’s stablecoin business, particularly around USDC, emerged as a bright spot. Revenue from that segment climbed 32% quarter-over-quarter, and the average USDC balance held across its platform jumped 49% to $12 billion.

However, adjusted net income dropped to $526.6 million, or $1.94 per share, from $679.2 million, or $2.53 per share, in the same quarter last year. Rising costs were a key factor, with operating expenses spiking 51% year-over-year to $1.3 billion, largely due to heavier marketing spend and write-downs on crypto assets held for operations.

Coinbase also announced it has inked a definitive agreement to acquire Deribit, one of the world’s largest crypto options exchanges, for $2.9 billion. The deal will include $700 million in cash and 11 million shares of Coinbase stock.

Based in Dubai, Deribit handled over $1 trillion in crypto derivatives volume last year, making it a powerhouse in the rapidly expanding digital asset derivatives sector. The acquisition, expected to close later this year pending regulatory approval, positions Coinbase to become a global leader in the crypto derivatives market, an increasingly critical area of growth as the spot trading business matures.

“This acquisition marks a major step forward in our mission to build the world’s leading financial hub for the crypto economy,” said Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong.

Coinbase, Ripple Lead Crypto M&A Amid U.S. Policy Shift

Amid growing optimism in U.S. crypto regulation, especially after former President Donald Trump pledged to make the country the “world capital of crypto,” major industry players are racing to strengthen their positions. Ripple (CRYPTO: XRP) recently made headlines with its $1.25 billion acquisition of multi-asset prime broker Hidden Road, marking one of the biggest deals in its history.

The move comes as the U.S. continues to lag behind other nations in crypto regulation, a factor that may have contributed to a broader risk-off sentiment among retail investors, according to Coinbase. Despite this, the company highlighted strong demand for its products and services among institutional investors, who are increasingly engaging with Coinbase's advanced financial instruments and deeper liquidity pools.

As the industry pivots towards institutional adoption and advanced financial instruments, market watchers will be closely monitoring these developments to determine whether this new chapter will spell success for the cryptocurrency sector. The landscape is rapidly changing, and industry leaders are adapting to the evolving regulatory and market dynamics.

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