Coinbase ($COIN) is one of crypto’s biggest and most influential exchanges. In this episode, we unpack its origin story—built to make Bitcoin accessible—its rise to a public company, and how a focus on security and regulatory compliance helped it become a trusted gateway for retail and institutional users. We look at how its core trading-fee business drives growth while newer offerings—subscriptions, staking, custody, a Layer‑2 network (Base), and moves into stocks and prediction markets—aim to diversify revenue and build an “everything exchange.” The tradeoffs are clear: compliance wins trust but invites heavy regulatory scrutiny and legal risk; its results are highly tied to crypto market volatility and the ever-present threat of security breaches; and tough competition from low-fee global exchanges, fintech rivals, and decentralized alternatives keeps pressure on margins. Is Coinbase a durable infrastructure leader helping shape crypto’s future, or a high‑risk incumbent vulnerable to market swings and regulatory shifts?

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