Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) Global Inc (NASDAQ:COIN) reported a significant increase in first-quarter profits, riding on a wave of increased cryptocurrency trading activity. The surge followed the launch of the first U.S. bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds earlier this year in January.
The cryptocurrency exchange platform announced on Thursday that its net income reached $1.2 billion for the three months ended March 31. This marks a sharp change from the same period last year, where the company faced a loss of $79 million, or $0.34 per share.
The significant gains reflect growing investor interest in cryptocurrencies, further fueled by new financial products like spot bitcoin ETFs that provide easier access to digital assets for a wider range of investors. Coinbase, as a leading exchange, has directly benefited from the increased trading volume that has come with that interest.
The performance represents a strong start to the year for Coinbase and underscores the volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, where prices and trading volumes can fluctuate widely, impacting the revenue of exchanges like Coinbase that facilitate these transactions.
Source: Investing