Coinbase Dumps Bitcoin Maximalism—Opts for ’Boring’ Billion-Dollar Stability Play

Wall Street’s favorite crypto exchange just sidestepped the ideological trenches. While Bitcoin maximalists rage against altcoins and DeFi ’heresy,’ Coinbase is quietly building an empire that looks suspiciously like... a traditional finance company.

Cold storage vaults? Check. Regulatory compliance teams? Double-check. A CEO who wears suits instead of tweeting through bear markets? Guilty as charged.

Here’s the cynical twist: After years of pretending to hate banks, crypto’s golden child is becoming exactly what it once mocked—just with blockchain buzzwords. The ultimate irony? This ’boring’ pivot might be what finally gets institutional money to stop dabbling and go all-in.

• Coinbase chose not to adopt a Bitcoin-heavy strategy like MicroStrategy, citing financial risk and the need for long-term stability.
• The company holds $153 million in Bitcoin, making it the ninth-largest corporate holder of the asset globally, reflecting a balanced approach to crypto investments.
• Coinbase acquired Deribit for $2.9 billion, positioning itself as a global leader in crypto derivatives trading.

Coinbase’s long-term crypto strategy: CEO Brian Armstrong recently confirmed that the company has considered and ultimately rejected the idea of adopting a Bitcoin-heavy investment approach similar to that of MicroStrategy founder Michael Saylor.

“There were definitely moments over the last 12 years where we thought, man, should we put 80% of our balance sheet into crypto, into Bitcoin specifically?” Armstrong said in a May 9 video interview with Bloomberg.

While such a MOVE might have significantly boosted Coinbase’s balance sheet in the wake of Bitcoin’s meteoric rise, Armstrong said the company ultimately chose a more conservative path. The decision was rooted in concerns over financial risk and long-term business stability.

“We made a conscious choice about risk,” Armstrong explained. “If we had tied up the majority of our cash reserves in Bitcoin, it could have killed the exchange if the market turned.”

The Exchange CFO Alesia Haas echoed those sentiments during the call, stating that the company avoided picking favorites in the crypto market to maintain trust with users. “We didn’t want to be seen as directly competing against our customers over which cryptocurrencies would outperform,” she said.

Coinbase Buys 153M in Bitcoin and Acquires Deribit for 29B

However, the crypto exchange is far from neutral when it comes to the future of digital assets. In its Q1 2025 earnings report released on May 8, the company disclosed that it had purchased $153 million worth of crypto assets, primarily Bitcoin. That brings its total Bitcoin holdings to 9,480 BTC, worth approximately $988 million at current prices, according to BitcoinTreasuries.net. These holdings now make up the bulk of Coinbase’s $1.3 billion in crypto assets.

This places Coinbase as the ninth-largest corporate holder of bitcoin globally, behind MicroStrategy, Tesla, and mining firm MARA Holdings.

As more than 100 publicly traded companies, 40 ETF issuers, and even 12 nation-states now report holding Bitcoin, Coinbase’s measured but growing crypto treasury signals a strategic shift, one that still maintains the firm’s Core principle of balance and neutrality.

193 publicly traded entities now hold BTC on their balance sheet

+200% increase Year to Date

This is just the beginning.

We. Are. Going. Higher. 🚀 https://t.co/QqvTssMzaj

But perhaps the biggest headline is Coinbase’s expansion beyond spot markets.

On May 8, the company announced a blockbuster $2.9 billion deal to acquire Deribit, the world’s leading crypto derivatives platform. With over $1 trillion in trading volume in 2024 and $30 billion in current open interest, Deribit’s acquisition marks the largest corporate crypto deal in industry history.

The move significantly expands Coinbase’s footprint in crypto derivatives, an area it previously only explored through its Bermuda-based exchange. With Deribit onboard, Coinbase now claims the title of “global leader” in crypto derivatives trading.

By rejecting a Bitcoin maximalist strategy and instead pursuing calculated investments and strategic acquisitions, Coinbase is carving out its path that blends growth with discipline. As the crypto market matures, that balanced approach may be what sets Coinbase apart from the rest.

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