Retail clients of the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase have been actively increasing their portfolios amid the recent market downturn. This was stated by the company’s CEO, Brian Armstrong, who emphasized the resilience of the platform’s traders in challenging market conditions.
This is reported by Business • Media
Trader Portfolio Dynamics Amid Volatility
According to Armstrong, throughout February 2026, the balance of crypto assets held by retail users on Coinbase remained stable or even exceeded the figures from December 2025. This indicates that most traders not only held onto their assets, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, but also increased their investments in leading cryptocurrencies.
The company leader noted that Coinbase users demonstrate a so-called “diamond hands” approach — investors are not rushing to sell their cryptocurrencies even during significant market volatility.
“Retail users on Coinbase have been very resilient during these market conditions, according to our data: – They’ve been buying the dip – we’ve seen a native unit increase for retail users across BTC and ETH – They have diamond hands – vast majority of customers had native unit…”
The term “diamond hands” refers to investors who do not panic and hold onto their assets despite price fluctuations and risks.
Questions About Data Verification and Market Signals
At the same time, Armstrong did not disclose specific metrics to support his claims. Additionally, Coinbase does not publish open Proof of Reserves reports, providing official reports only to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Some analysts point out that the increase in the number of crypto assets on centralized exchanges is often interpreted as preparation for selling rather than for long-term holding. After Bitcoin’s value dropped to $97,000 between January 12 and 15, 2026, the volume of coins on CEX increased, which was accompanied by a further decline in price.
Experts also noted the Bitcoin premium indicator on Coinbase, which shows the price difference between this exchange and Binance. A premium value above zero usually indicates increased demand in the U.S. and forms a bullish (optimistic) signal for the market. However, since the beginning of 2026, this indicator has exceeded zero only three times, which does not support the idea of mass accumulation of the asset by exchange users.
Furthermore, comments noted that Brian Armstrong himself has been actively selling his own Coinbase shares, which contradicts the statement about the need to buy assets during a market downturn.
Recall that in the fourth quarter of 2025, Coinbase reported a loss of $667 million.