Coinbase stock rises 8% due to a Goldman’s upgrade along with the Bitcoin rally
Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) stock price increased almost 8% on Monday, climbing to $254.92, after Goldman Sachs’ upgrade. Analyst James Yaro revised the 12-month price target to $303 from $294. This reflects a possible increase of 34% from the recent bottoms of $225.
The upgrade comes in alongside the increase in Bitcoin price with BTC being traded for more than $94,760 and a trading volume above the 9 million daily average.
Coinbase is experiencing increasing demand for its infrastructure services and the growth of new products, according to Goldman Sachs, which is the most important reason for the “buy” rating.
The bank’s forecast was almost “selective” optimistic, and due to the nature of the risks involved such as increasing competition, rate stream, and even legal risks, the concerns were rational. There is potential for growth in these services (for example, tokenization and prediction markets) domino effect to long-term growth, as analysts noted.
Coinbase has recently taken steps that advance its plans to become a full-fledged financial services platform rather than simply positioning itself as a cryptocurrency trading venue. Most recently during December, its customers from the U.S. were provided access to new services, including the ability to trade stocks, new forms of derivatives, prediction markets, and several new banking services.
At present, Coinbase has reported that nearly 40% of its U.S. revenue is derived from various products and services tied to cryptocurrency, including custody services, staking, and subscription services. This number is significantly greater than the 5% figure from five years ago.
In a 2026 prediction, CEO Brian Armstrong defined Coinbase as becoming an everything exchange, and targeted increasing offerings around stablecoins, the Base layer-2 blockchain, and additional trading services.
On January 6, Armstrong made a post to X that explained the benefits to buying shares of COIN stock through Coinbase as opposed to through a competing discount brokerage. Coinbase has positioned itself as a holistic financial platform, where its customers can gain access to cryptocurrency and stock trading, prediction market trading, and perpetual futures, from a single account.
In addition to the aforementioned benefits, Armstrong mentioned that customers can also gain access to reasonably priced loans, credit cards with more advantageous payment rewards, and international payment systems that cost less than a penny to transfer. He reminded investors that stock trading is still being rolled out throughout the U.S. and that it will be available very soon.
During Monday’s trading sessions, COIN hit an intraday low of $246.53 and a high of $258.87, showcasing strong investor sentiment. Goldman Sachs‘ upgrade, increasing Bitcoin price, and optimism about Coinbase’s growing product range made for a positive Coinbase sentiment.
As Coinbase markets itself beyond crypto trading, the positive outlook from analysts and investors about its potential growth is warranted. An improved vision for 2026, trading feature expansions, and service adjustments position Coinbase to benefit from the cryptocurrency market’s upward momentum, but also the increasing convergence of traditional and digital finance.
Conclusion
A positive shift in the market has lead investors to gain confidence in Coinbase. With the company’s revenue diversification and an expanding market interest, investors have recognized the improvement in Coinbase’s positive outlook and reputation.
Major U.S. investment banking company Goldman Sachs became a supporter of this reputation change, awarding Coinbase a ‘buy’ rating with a target stock price of $303.
This target price reflects Coinbase’s anticipated future success. Coinbase is committing to becoming a fully holistic exchange platform. This is in-line with CEO Brian Armstrong’s vision of “everything exchange.” Armstrong’s exchange will allow holders to trade and utilize financial services in a seamless platform. Coinbase is becoming synonymous with the services it offers.
In fact, it is getting to a point where the platform will dictate the financial services it offers. And at what price? 40 percent of its revenue is now from services, as opposed to the previous five years when less than 5 percent of its revenue came from services.
The crypto market is alive and Coinbase is front and center. All signs are a go from the market and from Coinbase’s continued innovative expansion; the future is almost here for the next financial market leader.
