Key Insights:
- Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s remarks on volatility amid regulatory uncertainty in the US.
- ARK Invest sold Coinbase shares and further increased its Bullish position.
- ARK acquired Alphabet Recursion Pharma and Tempus AI, reducing its tech exposure.
Coinbase news moved into focus after Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong addressed renewed volatility across the cryptocurrency market. His comments were shared during a period of price declines that coincided with heightened uncertainty in Washington over proposed market structure frameworks.
Armstrong Frames Volatility as Cyclical Amid Regulatory Transition
Armstrong stated that recent price swings do not alter his broader outlook on the sector. He described volatility as a recurring feature across multiple crypto cycles, noting that market stress has appeared at various points during the industry’s development.
Armstrong said crypto markets have moved through repeated cycles over the years. He pointed out that steep downsides have always followed blistering growth, and that the current volatility is part of a transitional stage, not a structural failure.
Source: Crypto Advocate Diana
Armstrong states that these changes are a sign of interaction between technological change and shifting regulatory expectations.
While Armstrong acknowledged the influence of regulatory change, he said Coinbase’s internal operations continue regardless of market direction. Development efforts, he stated, remain active during both market advances and downturns.
Armstrong emphasized that Coinbase’s internal development work continues during market stress. He said the company’s operational focus does not pause in response to price volatility. His statements remained centered on process continuity rather than strategic expansion or contraction.
Armstrong stated that digital assets remain in interaction with the traditional financial system, and these interactions become sources of structural pressure when regulation shifts. He put these dynamics in the context of an ongoing process of adjustment, and not an event.
AI and Crypto Discussions Draw Attention
Additional Coinbase news followed Armstrong’s response to comments from Shaun Macguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital.
MacGuire discussed the growing overlap between artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, suggesting that both fields share foundational characteristics and have historically attracted early technologists.
Armstrong replied that collaboration between AI and crypto remains in its early stages. He claimed that the two sectors are developing rapidly, without specifying timeframes or definite outcomes. His reaction was centered on experimentation rather than on maturity, which fits McGuire’s definition of a renewed interest in crypto infrastructure motivated by AI.
The acquisition brought further background to the wider technology discourse without providing a new strategic tone by Coinbase. Armstrong’s comments focused on trends rather than forecasting.
ARK Invest Reduces Coinbase Holdings
Coinbase news also drew attention from equity markets after ARK Invest disclosed significant sales of Coinbase shares.
According to the firm’s trade filings, ARK sold 92,737 shares from the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), 32,790 shares from the Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW), and 8,945 shares from the Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF). The combined total of 134,472 shares was valued at approximately $22.1 million.
The Friday sale followed a reversal earlier in the week. On Thursday, ARK sold 119,236 Coinbase shares worth about $17.4 million after a brief purchase. That transaction marked the firm’s first Coinbase sale of 2026 and its first since August 2025. The back-to-back sales signaled a shift in ARK’s recent positioning toward Coinbase.
Bullish Accumulation and Broader Portfolio Moves
At the same time, ARK Invest increased its exposure to Bullish across multiple funds.
The firm purchased 278,619 shares of ARKK, 70,655 shares of ARKW, and 43,783 shares of ARKF. Moreover, the total acquisition amounted to 393,057 shares, valued at about 10.7 million dollars.
Bullish shares ended the trading day near $27, reflecting a gain of about 10% for the session. Despite the daily increase, the stock remains down roughly 27% year-to-date.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the company reported a net loss of 563.6 million (US), or 3.73 per diluted share, compared with a net profit of 158.5 million in the same period in 2024.
ARK also made investments in Alphabet, Recursion Pharmaceuticals, and Tempus AI in addition to these crypto-related additions. The company also reduced exposure to high-growth technology firms, including Roku, The Trade Desk, and PagerDuty.
