From a humble Airbnb engineer’s discovery of Bitcoin’s white paper in 2010 to a $100 billion Nasdaq debut in 2021, Coinbase has charted one of the most remarkable journeys in modern finance. Founded by Brian Armstrong with a mission to bridge the anarchic world of cryptocurrency and mainstream finance, Coinbase pioneered user-friendly access, uncompromising regulatory compliance, and institutional-grade custody that transformed crypto from niche speculation into a global financial infrastructure. Surviving multiple market crashes, intense competition, and enormous regulatory battles, Coinbase evolved from a simple buy-bitcoin button into a complex ecosystem with a new layer-2 blockchain and a visionary super app in sight. Dive deeper to explore how this audacious gamble on compliance, timing, and infrastructure built a $50 billion powerhouse—and what lies ahead for crypto’s most influential titan.

Transcript: https://empor.top/us/COIN

• I. Introduction & Episode Thesis
• II. Pre-History & The Bitcoin Discovery
• III. The Y Combinator Sprint & Finding Fred
• IV. Building the On-Ramp: Product Evolution & Early Growth (2012–2017)
• V. The Institutional Pivot & Professionalization (2018–2020)
• VI. The Direct Listing: Peak Euphoria (2021)
• VII. Bear Market Navigation & Strategic Evolution (2021–Present)
• VIII. Power & Business Model Analysis
• IX. The Crypto Policy Wars
• X. Playbook: Lessons for Founders & Investors
• XI. Bull vs. Bear Case & Future Scenarios
• XII. Epilogue: What Would We Do?
• XIII. Conclusion: The Infrastructure of Revolution