A certain compliant platform's stock rises 7%, with investment banks raising target prices and optimistic about infrastructure business growth

Source: CryptoNewsNet Original Title: Coinbase stock jumps 7% after Goldman Sachs upgrade and higher price target Original Link:

Stock Rally Driven by Infrastructure Pivot

The stock jumped 7% after Goldman Sachs upgraded it to buy and raised the 12-month target from $294 to $303. That means Goldman now expects a 28% gain from here. The stock had fallen 13% over the past year while the S&P 500 rose 15%, putting it far behind the market.

Goldman’s upgrade didn’t come out of nowhere. Analyst James Yaro said the stock’s slump gave investors a cheap entry point. “Higher valuation should come over time, as the platform shifts from cyclical to structural growth,” he wrote.

Yaro also said the platform is still pulling in more money than its peers and growing its market share, thanks to its size and name.

“The platform’s scale and brand recognition continue to drive above-average revenue growth, market share gains, with a best-in-class customer acquisition cost,” he added.

Growth Beyond Trading

Yaro believes the platform isn’t just a trading platform anymore. He pointed to the company’s subscription and services business, which includes custody, stablecoins, staking, and prime brokerage.

These businesses made up less than 5% of revenue in 2020, but now account for about 40%. He expects that to grow another 13% a year between 2025 and 2027. He said these services aren’t tied to trading volume, which should help lower profit swings.

Yaro called recent platform products more competitive, especially in areas of long-term growth. He said the new offerings add to the platform’s core products, which he also expects to keep growing.

“We are constructive on the platform’s growing exposure to crypto infrastructure businesses through its subscription & services offerings, which should dampen earnings volatility over time,” he wrote.

Goldman’s message was clear: the platform is building a more stable and scalable business, even if the market doesn’t see it yet.

Strategic Pause in Argentina

At the same time as the stock rose, the platform also started pulling back from Argentina. The company emailed users saying it will stop support for USDC and Argentine pesos from January 31st.

After that date, users won’t be able to buy or sell USDC using pesos or send pesos to bank accounts. The platform called this a “deliberate pause”, not a full exit. They said crypto-to-crypto trades will still work, and they plan to relaunch later with a better product.

The platform had only entered Argentina in 2025, right after winning approval from the country’s National Securities Commission (CNV).

At the time, the platform said 5 million people in Argentina were using crypto daily. The country has been a hot crypto zone, thanks to high inflation and strict capital rules. The platform saw that as a big opportunity. But for now, they’re dialing it back.

Still, they’re not giving up on the region. Local reports said the platform is staying in touch with local partners. The platform is also leaning on its Base ecosystem to keep some presence in the country.