Coinbase (COIN) is one of the top fintech ideas for 2026, according to a new outlook report from Clear Street analyst Owen Lau, who sees the crypto exchange as a central player in the transition to blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
Lau, who already had a buy rating and 12-month price target of $415 for COIN – listed the crypto exchange alongside Nasdaq (NDAQ) and S&P Global (SPGI) among his top three fintech picks for next year.
Amid a broad post-Christmas crypto sell-off on Friday, COIN shares are down 2.2% at $234.50.
Lau said Coinbase is “best positioned to benefit from blockchain adoption and regulatory clarity,” highlighting the company’s growing revenues from subscriptions, stablecoin business and on-chain financial services. Coinbase’s diversification away from volatile spot trading and deeper involvement in areas such as tokenization, payments and derivatives could help it weather crypto cycles better than in the past, he argued.
According to Lau, one of the main drivers is USDC, the stablecoin jointly operated by Circle and Coinbase. Circle shares about 50% of its USDC revenue with Coinbase, but Coinbase still trades at a lower price than Circle based on expected profits.
Lau also sees several other catalysts that could help reevaluate Coinbase’s valuation in 2026, including US legislation on crypto market structure and stablecoin frameworks. He also highlights the company’s expansion into prediction markets, a potential “superapp” and AI-based financial tools as new growth levers.
Describing 2026 as a “transition year” for crypto stocks – when investors will move from trading volume to signs of real adoption – Lau believes Coinbase is well-positioned to benefit thanks to its strong balance sheet, international reach and diverse product pipeline.
