Coinbase has announced a substantial decline in retail trading volume, sparking apprehension in the crypto sector.
The leading US cryptocurrency exchange unveiled its Q2 earnings report on Thursday, indicating that transaction volumes for retail and institutional clients have fallen by 70% and 54% respectively compared to the same timeframe last year.
Coinbase attributes this decrease to multiple factors, one of which is the overall shrinkage of cryptocurrency market capitalization.
The average prices of cryptocurrencies have plunged significantly from their 2021 peaks, coupled with a period of low volatility in the market, limiting the prospects for substantial profits.
Bitcoin (BTC), the leading cryptocurrency, has exhibited considerable stability since March, which has further contributed to the slump in trading volume.
This drop signifies a dramatic turnaround for the crypto industry, which was the talk of the town merely a year ago.
During the 2022 Super Bowl, crypto firms and exchanges were as conspicuous as beers and pickup trucks in America.
However, the downturn set in soon after, triggered by the US Federal Reserve’s decision to hike interest rates.
Crypto heavyweights like Three Arrows Capital, Celsius, Voyager Digital, and FTX underwent high-profile collapses, erasing $2 trillion in market value.
Coinbase has not been spared from these challenges either.
Last summer, the exchange began a series of layoffs, resulting in 1,100 employees losing access to their company email accounts.
The downsizing continued into this year, with Coinbase reducing its workforce by an additional 20% at the start of 2023.
Coinbase Revenue Beats Estimates Despite Regulatory Challenges
In June, both Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, and Coinbase, the top US-based cryptocurrency exchange, were sued by the SEC.
The commission charged them with unlawfully offering unregistered securities to their users.
Despite this regulatory scrutiny, Coinbase exceeded second-quarter revenue expectations due to increased interest income.
Additionally, Coinbase reported a reduced loss in the second quarter this year compared to the same period last year, signifying the exchange’s sixth straight quarterly loss.
The loss for the quarter was reported at $97 million, a significant reduction from the $1.1 billion loss in the same quarter the previous year.
“Q2 was a quarter of solid execution for Coinbase and signified continuous progress in our mission to develop an increasingly efficient and financially disciplined company,” the firm stated in a letter to shareholders.
Meanwhile, the company maintains a positive outlook regarding its legal dispute with the SEC.
Speaking about the litigation with the SEC, Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal was emphatic during a post-earnings call, stating, “I want to make it crystal clear that we believe we can win. In fact, we anticipate a victory.”
Coinbase’s stock has also experienced a significant surge this year, climbing 156% amid a resurgence in retail interest and a broader tech sector recovery.
Notably, the Coinbase-supported Base blockchain has been generating significant buzz recently.
Over the weekend, Base recorded over $200 million in trading volumes, boasting more transactions than established networks like Arbitrum.
