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 shift toward blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
Lau, who already had a buy rating and a 12-month price target of $415 for COIN, ranked the crypto exchange alongside Nasdaq (NDAQ) and S&P Global (SPGI) as his top three fintech picks for the coming year.
Amid a broad post-Christmas cryptocurrency sell-off on Friday, COIN shares fell 2.2% to $234.50.
Lau said Coinbase is “best positioned to benefit from blockchain adoption and regulatory clarity,” pointing to the company’s growing revenue from subscriptions, stablecoin activity and on-chain financial services. Coinbase’s diversification away from volatile spot trading and deeper involvement in areas such as tokenization, payments and derivatives can help it weather crypto cycles better than in the past, he argued.
A key driver, according to Lau, 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 discount to Circle based on expected earnings.
Lau also sees many other catalysts that could help rerate Coinbase’s valuation in 2026, including US legislation on cryptocurrency market structure and stablecoin frameworks. He also points to the company’s expansion into prediction markets, a possible “super app” and artificial intelligence-based financial tools as new growth levers.
Describing 2026 as a “transitional year” for crypto stocks, when investors will shift focus from trading volumes to signs of real adoption, Lau believes Coinbase is well positioned to benefit thanks to its strong balance sheet, international reach and diversified product portfolio.
