How to trade Coinbase shares

Learn all about the Coinbase share price journey, Coinbase margin trading, and how to trade Coinbase shares with Capital.com.

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What is Coinbase?

Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong and Fred Ehrsam with the intention of making crypto trading accessible to all. The Coinbase platform enables the buying and selling of digital assets such as bitcoin and ether via a digital wallet service, and also allows merchants to accept cryptos as payments. 

Coinbase shares became tradable in 2021 through a direct listing, meaning it was able to sell shares directly to the public without involving underwriters to facilitate the sale. The IPO was notable in that it represented one of the first flotations of a cryptocurrency exchange, bringing it significant attention in the world of finance and beyond.

In the 2023 fiscal year, the company’s revenue amounted to some $3.1bn.

What is the Coinbase share price history?

The Coinbase share price history began in 2021 at an opening price of $381, peaking at just over $429 and closing that day at around $328. Throughout the year, the stock’s performance was impacted by increased regulatory scrutiny in the cryptocurrency market, meaning the share price was volatile. For example, in May that year the US Treasury announced it would require stricter compliance with IRS regulations, specifically targeting transfers of $10,000 or more worth of cryptocurrencies. Against this backdrop, the price fell as low as $216 in June, but by November had gained ground, reaching $350 alongside a general boom in cryptocurrency prices. 

In July 2022 Coinbase stock fell below $50 for the first time during a general tech stock downturn and slump in crypto-related assets. Macroeconomic events such as rising inflation and higher interest rates dampened appetite for risk-on markets such as Coinbase. Moving into 2023 though, the Coinbase share price began to recover as bitcoin ETFs came to prominence, sending the share price to around $186 by the end of the year. And in 2024, the general resurgence of cryptocurrencies in the build-up to the much-publicised fourth bitcoin halving helped the Coinbase price past $280.

_{Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.}

What factors might affect the Coinbase live share price?

The Coinbase live share price can be impacted by a range of key sector-specific fundamental events. Here are a few of the main factors that traders should watch out for.  

• Cryptocurrency market volatility: fluctuations in bitcoin and other prominent cryptocurrencies directly affect the trading volume and profitability of the related exchanges. 

• Regulatory approvals: changes in regulations such as the requirement for improved IRS compliance can impact the Coinbase share price since it has the potential to affect the reputation of the wider industry and consequently impact trading volume. Also, in 2021 Coinbase's share price dropped following the US Securities and Exchange Commission's threat to sue if Coinbase launched a crypto lending program, further demonstrating the impact of regulatory risks.

• Technical and security issues: any significant downtime or security breaches are capable of harming the reputation of Coinbase and other exchanges. In 2019, a significant outage during a period of high traffic was enough to temporarily hit the Coinbase share price due to concerns over the company’s ability to handle trading spikes. 

• Competitive landscape: the entry of traditional financial institutions into the crypto space, such as PayPal offering cryptocurrency trading, can pressure Coinbase's market share and impact its stock.

• Partnerships and expansion: any positive relationships with other sectors and major industry players can increase investor confidence in the cryptocurrency sector’s ability to expand and diversify. For example, in 2021 Coinbase announced a partnership with Apple and Google that would allow crypto payments via Apple Pay and Google Pay, which enhanced user engagement and had a positive effect on its share value.

What are the Coinbase stock trading hours?

The Coinbase stock trading hours are Monday to Friday from 2:30am to 9:00pm (UK time).

Find out more about the world stock market trading hours.

If you choose to trade CFDs, you can follow the Coinbase stock performance live in euros with the comprehensive Coinbase share price chart.

Monitoring the company’s activity can help you to keep an eye out for any key fundamental or technical events that may affect short-term movements in the share value.

How to trade Coinbase shares with CFDs

If you want to take a position on Coinbase shares, you have two options. First, you can buy physical shares in the company through the exchange on which it’s listed. In this case, investing in Coinbase stock means you will own a share, or shares, in the company. This can be considered a long-term investment, as you’re hoping for the price to rise over time.

Learn about the differences between trading vs investing.

Alternatively, you can trade a derivative product such as a contract for difference (CFD) on the underlying Coinbase stock market price, and speculate on its price movements without actually owning the asset. A CFD is a financial contract, typically between a broker and a trader, where one party agrees to pay the other the difference in the value of a security, between the opening and closing of the trade.

Unlike physical share ownership, you can either hold a long position (speculating that the price will rise) or a short position (speculating that the price will fall). This is considered a short-term investment or trade, as CFDs tend to be used within shorter timeframes.

Find out more about CFD trading.

The key difference between buying physical Coinbase shares and trading through a derivative is the leverage that is employed with the latter. CFDs are typically traded on margin, which means that a trader has exposure to larger positions with a relatively small outlay. This amplifies the potential profits, but also the potential losses, making leveraged trading risky.

You can learn how to trade shares in our comprehensive guide to shares trading.

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Why trade Coinbase CFDs with Capital.com?

Trading Coinbase CFDs with Capital.com means you’ll enjoy an intuitive, easy-to-use platform, 24/7 support, fair and transparent pricing, along with award-winning education to help build your experience in the markets.* You can seamlessly integrate our smart platform with elite third-party software TradingView and MT4, and refine your strategies with our risk-free demo. 

*Awarded best-in-class for education at ForexBrokers.com’s 2024 Annual Awards

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