Coinbase Global Inc. shares under the ticker $COIN witnessed a sharp sell-off on the 30th of October, falling 10.62% to close at $143.54 at press time.
In fact, in the year so far, $COIN declined by 39.31% despite the cryptocurrency exchange reporting a return to profitability in its third-quarter 2026 earnings.
All about Coinbase’s Q3 2026 results
According to Coinbase’s financial report, the exchange company reported net income of $719 million for the Q3 2026, compared with $433 million during the same period last year.
Its adjusted net income, however, stood at just $78 million, while adjusted EBITDA reached $333 million, increasing 60% quarter-over-quarter. Notably, this marked the company’s 15th consecutive quarter of positive adjusted EBITDA.
That said, the exchange also reported several milestones across its expanding business. For instance, its crypto trading volume market share reached 10.7%, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of gains.
Meanwhile, average USDC held across Coinbase products reached a record $22 billion.
Then what triggered the stock decline?
However, the headline profit figures concealed some underlying weaknesses. That’s because Coinbase’s net income benefited significantly from approximately $715 million in gains on its crypto investment holdings.
Meanwhile, net revenue declined 34% year-over-year to approximately $1.16 billion, while transaction revenue dropped to $590 million as trading activity weakened. This suggests that its core exchange business continues to face challenges despite the company’s growing product portfolio.
At the same time, Coinbase’s Q3 regulatory filing also disclosed that CEO Brian Armstrong, co-founder Fred Ehrsam, and President Emilie Choi had adopted Rule 10b5-1 trading plans. Collectively, these arrangements cover potential sales of approximately 13.6 million COIN shares, worth roughly $2.2 billion based on the 29th October closing price.
Needless to say, these weaknesses appear to be the reason behind the double-digit $COIN stock drop despite a reported net income of $719 million.
What’s more?
This coincided with Coinbase recently facing scrutiny after a breach at third-party analytics provider Amplitude exposed contact information belonging to some of its users, although Coinbase maintained that its own systems and customer funds were unaffected.
Meanwhile, Coinbase’s 30th October deadline to restrict non-compliant stablecoins under the EU’s MiCA regulations has prompted European traders to explore decentralized exchanges (DEXs) as alternatives.
Final Summary
- Coinbase reported net income of $719 million for the Q3 2026, compared with $433 million during the same period last year.
- Coinbase executives are planning a potential sale of approximately 13.6 million COIN shares, worth roughly $2.2 billion.