Coinbase Off to a Good Start in 2023: JPMorgan

One of the biggest contributors to revenue in the fourth quarter was from Coinbase’s relationship with Circle, the report said.

AccessTimeIconFeb 22, 2023 at 11:38 a.m. UTC
Updated May 9, 2023 at 4:08 a.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Coinbase’s (COIN) fourth-quarter adjusted loss per share of $2.46 beat JPMorgan’s estimate of a $2.85 loss per share but was worse than the consensus of $2.17 loss per share reported to Bloomberg, JPM said in a research report on Tuesday.

The bank raised its price target on Coinbase to $57 from $52, but maintained its neutral rating. At the time of writing, shares of Coinbase were down 1.5% at $61.16 in premarket trading.

  • Grayscale Begins Trading First Spot Bitcoin ETF; Circle Files for IPO
    02:27
    Grayscale Begins Trading First Spot Bitcoin ETF; Circle Files for IPO
  • Closing Arguments Start in Sam Bankman-Fried's Trial; Could Bitcoin Reach $150K by 2025?
    02:23
    Closing Arguments Start in Sam Bankman-Fried's Trial; Could Bitcoin Reach $150K by 2025?
  • Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer on Future of Stablecoins, Crypto Regulation
    12:57
    Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer on Future of Stablecoins, Crypto Regulation
  • Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer on CBDC Outlook in the U.S.
    00:43
    Circle’s Chief Strategy Officer on CBDC Outlook in the U.S.
  • “Coinbase is well positioned to deliver notable year-on-year improvement in EBITDA at current expense levels with the marked improvement in overall crypto volumes in 2023 thus far combined with somewhat better than anticipated costs cutting going into 1Q23,” analysts led by Kenneth B. Worthington wrote.

    Unsurprisingly, trading volumes remained weak during the fourth quarter, but this was offset by take rates and higher interest income, the report added.

    One of the biggest contributors to fourth-quarter revenue was from Coinbase’s relationship with Circle. Subscription revenue continued to grow in the quarter with USD coin (USDC) generating $146 million of interest income for the exchange, the report added.

    More importantly, Coinbase said it now aims to generate positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) “in all market conditions,” whereas previously it aimed to operate at EBITDA break-even across each crypto cycle, said JPMorgan.

    The bank says this is a notable change given the level of restructuring and “business realignment” in the past several quarters.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Author placeholder image

    Will Canny is CoinDesk's finance reporter.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.