Headline: Clear Street names Coinbase a top-three fintech pick for 2026, citing USDC and on-chain services Clear Street analyst Owen Lau has singled out Coinbase (COIN) as one of his top three fintech picks for 2026 — alongside Nasdaq (NDAQ) and S&P Global (SPGI) — arguing the exchange is well-positioned to benefit from a shift toward blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Lau, who already carries a buy rating on COIN with a 12-month price target of $415, points to several reasons why Coinbase could outperform peers next year: - A move away from reliance on volatile spot trading toward steadier revenue streams, including subscriptions, stablecoin activity and on-chain financial services. - Deepening involvement in tokenization, payments and derivatives, which could make Coinbase more resilient across crypto cycles. - USDC, the stablecoin co-operated by Circle and Coinbase, as a major growth driver — Circle reportedly shares roughly half of the USDC-related revenue with Coinbase, yet Coinbase currently trades at a discount to Circle on expected earnings. Lau also highlights potential re-rating catalysts for 2026: U.S. legislation clarifying crypto market structure and stablecoin rules, expansion into prediction markets, development of a potential “superapp,” and the rollout of AI-powered financial tools. Describing 2026 as a “transition year” for crypto equities, Lau expects investor focus to shift from short-term trading volume to tangible indicators of adoption. He argues Coinbase’s strong balance sheet, international footprint and diversified product pipeline make it one of the best-positioned firms to capture that adoption. Market context: amid a post-Christmas crypto selloff, COIN shares were down about 2.2% to $234.50. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news

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