Coinbase Q1 Revenue Rises Despite Profit Decline

The San Francisco-based company said revenue rose 24% year-on-year to $2b. However, that figure was down about 10% from the previous quarter and fell short of analyst estimates of $2.1b, according to LSEG data.

Transaction revenue remained a key contributor, increasing 17.3% to $1.26b. Meanwhile, revenue from the firm’s growing subscription and services business jumped 37% to $698.1m.

Coinbase marks these assets to market each quarter, exposing its earnings to the volatile swings in cryptocurrency prices. On an adjusted basis, the company reported a net income of $526.6m, or $1.94 per share, compared to $2.53 a year ago. Operating expenses surged 51% to $1.3b, driven by heavier marketing spend and losses on held crypto assets. The stock dipped around 2% in after-hours trading and is down 17% so far this year.

Net income for the quarter plunged 94% to $66m, or 24 cents per share, as the firm booked losses related to the declining value of its crypto holdings.

Heavy Marketing Spend and Asset Losses Drag Down Coinbase Profit

Chief financial officer Alesia Haas said many customers are now engaging with a broader range of services beyond trading. “We are gaining share, we are driving utility,” she said. “We are seeing a healthy maturation of the products.” Coinbase also announced the acquisition of Deribit in a deal valued at $2.9b. The move signals the company’s ambition to expand deeper into the crypto derivatives market, a sector where Deribit handled nearly $1.2t in volume last year.

Despite the earnings miss, the platform logged its second-highest monthly transacting user count in company history.

Coinbase Bets on Derivatives as User Base Grows Beyond Trading