Coinbase versus Circle: Which Crypto Stock Deserves A Spot In Your Portfolio?

koolgal
2025-06-21

๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸIn the ever evolving world of digital finance, 2 giants have emerged as frontrunners in the race to dominate the crypto infrastructure space - Coinbase and Circle.  Both companies are riding high on the recent passage of the GENIUS Act, a landmark US Senate Bill that could reshape the stablecoin landscape and unlock massive growth potential for investors.

However the Big Question is Which Stock Offers The Better Long Term Upside?

Coinbase - The Exchange Titan With a Stable coin Edge

Coinbase $Coinbase Global, Inc.(COIN)$  is the largest US based crypto exchange, boasting over 100 million users and USD 400 billion in assets.  Coinbase is profitable with a solid P/E ratio and a growing suite of products from trading to merchant payments.

Crucially, Coinbase co-founded USDC with Circle and earns 50% of USDC's revenue plus 100% of the interest income from USDC held on its platform.  That makes it a stealth stablecoin play even though it is best known for its exchange business.

Coinbase has become the undisputed heavyweight in crypto custody, especially in the institutional space and the numbers are staggering. 

Coinbase Custody manages about 90% of all Bitcoin ETF assets with a total of USD 37 billion.  That means nearly every major US approved Bitcoin ETF - 8 out of 11, including BlackRock is trusting Coinbase to safeguard their digital assets.  This isn't just a vote of confidence.  It is a seismic shift in how traditional finance is embracing crypto.

Circle - The Pure Play Stablecoin Powerhouse

Circle $Circle Internet Corp.(CRCL)$ the issuer of USDC recently went public and has seen its stock skyrocket nearly 500% from its IPO price.  With a market cap nearing USD 50 billion, Circle is laser focused on Stablecoins, a sector that processed over USD 35 trillion in transactions, more than double Visa's annual volume.

While not yet profitable, Circle's growth trajectory and regulatory tailwinds make it a compelling bet on the future of digital payments. 

The StableCoin Bull Market - A Real Threat to Visa and Mastercard?

Stablecoins are no longer just crypto native tools.  They are becoming mainstream financial infrastructure. 

With GENIUS Act providing regulatory clarity, transaction volumes have exploded, tripling since 2023 and outpacing Visa's annual payments.

Mastercard and Visa $Visa(V)$   are scrambling to adapt as both have launched stablecoin initiatives.  Mastercard $MasterCard(MA)$  now allows merchants to accept stablecoins payments globally.

But here is the kicker - Stablecoins processed USD 35 Trillion in transactions over the past year while Visa's volume dropped to USD 15.7 trillion.  That is not just growth, it is a paradigm shift.

Some analysts argue that the threat is overblown, citing consumer loyalty to credit cards and the lack of stablecoin infrastructure.  But others see the writing on the wall - Programmable money, instant settlement and lower fees are hard to ignore.

Would I bet against Mastercard and Visa?  Not entirely but I would absolutely bet on the rise of Stablecoins.  That means Circle and Coinbase are the frontrunners.

The Verdict - Diversified Strength or Focused Growth?

If you are looking for diversification, profitability and broad crypto exposure, Coinbase is the safer bet.  But if you believe that Stablecoins are the future of Finance and want a pure play with explosive upside, Circle might be your moonshot. 

Final Thoughts 

Both Circle and Coinbase are riding the same regulatory wave, but they offer different flavours of opportunity.  Coinbase is a well established exchange with stablecoin exposure while Circle is a stablecoin juggernaut just getting started.  

Ultimately your choice depends on your risk appetite and your conviction where crypto is headed next.   Perhaps you can consider dollar cost averaging in either stock to reduce timing risk using Tiger Brokers' Auto Invest. 

As for me personally, I believe that Coinbase's profitability and broader business model makes it a safer bet but I would add a small bit strategic position in Circle in the stablecoin space. 

@Tiger_comments  @TigerStars  @Tiger_SG  @Daily_Discussion  @CaptainTiger  @TigerClub  

Coinbase $2.3B Convertible Note: Smart Move or Red Flag?
Coinbase Global was down 6.3%. The crypto exchange unveiled a convertible note offering worth up to $2.3 billion on Tuesday. Coinbase said it plans to offer $1 billion in convertible senior notes due in 2029, and $1 billion due in 2032 in a private offering. The company also expects to grant options to purchase up to an additional $150 million of each set of notes. -------- How do you view a company issuing new shares at high levels? Is it a case of cashing out on retail investors, or simply a good time to raise funds? At what price would it be a good opportunity to buy the dip?
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Comments

  • AL_Ishan
    2025-06-23
    AL_Ishan
    ็ป•ๅˆฐๆœˆ็ƒ๏ผŸ๐Ÿš€ไธ€ๅฎšไผšๅ–œๆฌข500%็š„IPOๆต่กŒ๏ผ้ซ˜้ฃŽ้™ฉ๏ผŒ้ซ˜ๅ›žๆŠฅโ€”โ€”่ฟ™ๆญฃๆ˜ฏๆˆ‘็š„ๆ„Ÿ่ง‰ใ€‚ไปŽETF็š„่ง’ๅบฆๆฅ็œ‹๏ผŒไป็„ถๆŒๆœ‰ไธ€ไบ›็กฌๅธใ€‚่ฎฉๆˆ‘ไปฌ็œ‹็œ‹่ฐไผš่ตขๅพ—่ฟ™ๅœบ็จณๅฎšๅธๆˆ˜ไบ‰๏ผ๐Ÿ˜„
    • koolgal:ย 
      ็ฅ่ดบๆ‚จๅœจๆฏ”็‰นๅธๅŸบๅœฐ็š„ๆˆๅŠŸไบคๆ˜“ใ€‚๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰๐ŸŽ‰
    • koolgal:ย 
      ๆฌฃ่ต่ฟ™็ง็งฏๆž็š„ๆฐ›ๅ›ด๐Ÿ˜˜๐Ÿ˜˜๐Ÿ˜˜
    • koolgal:ย 
      ็ฅไฝ ๅบฆ่ฟ‡ๆˆๅŠŸ็š„ไธ€ๅ‘จ๐Ÿš€๐Ÿš€๐Ÿš€๐ŸŒ›๐ŸŒ›๐ŸŒ›๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      ่ฐข่ฐข๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿฅฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      ๆ˜ฏ็š„๏ผŒๆฏ”่ต›ๅผ€ๅง‹ไบ†๏ผ
  • Mortimer Arthur
    2025-06-22
    Mortimer Arthur
    COIN will become the mini Nasdaq; easy money to be made here, imo

    • koolgal:ย 
      Coinbase is better than Circle IMHO .
    • koolgal:ย 
      All The Best ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€
    • koolgal:ย 
      May you have a winning week ahead ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      Happy Sunday ๐Ÿ–๏ธ๐Ÿ–๏ธ๐Ÿ–๏ธ
    • koolgal:ย 
      Thanks for sharing your valuable insights ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿฅฐ
  • Kristina_
    2025-06-23
    Kristina_
    Great breakdown! Coinbase looks like the smarter pick for long-term stability, especially with that Bitcoin ETF custody lead. But Circleโ€™s growth story in stablecoins is hard to ignoreโ€”definitely keeping both on my watchlist!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ’ช
    • koolgal:ย 
      There is a lot of excitement especially around Circle. ๐Ÿš€๐Ÿš€๐Ÿš€๐ŸŒ›๐ŸŒ›๐ŸŒ›๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      May you have a winning week ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      Best of luck ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€
    • koolgal:ย 
      Great idea to keep a close watch in both of them. ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜
  • Venus Reade
    2025-06-21
    Venus Reade
    Glad I loaded COIN early this week.
    • koolgal:ย 
      Best of luck ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€
    • koolgal:ย 
      May you have a wonderful week ahead ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      Congratulations ๐ŸŽ†๐ŸŽ†๐ŸŽ†
  • windy00
    2025-06-21
    windy00
    Great breakdown
    • koolgal:ย 
      Appreciate your positive feedback ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿฅฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      Thanks ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜
    • koolgal:ย 
      Happy Trading ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      Best of luck ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€
  • ไธๆญป้ธŸ.
    2025-06-23
    ไธๆญป้ธŸ.
    ่ฐข่ฐขๅˆ†ๆž
    • koolgal:ย 
      All the best ๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€๐Ÿ€
    • koolgal:ย 
      May you have a winning week ahead ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐ŸŒˆ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ๐Ÿ’ฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      Appreciate your support ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿฅฐ
    • koolgal:ย 
      My pleasure ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜
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