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April 8, 2026

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The post Coinbase Stock Price Faces Resistance Despite Securing Crypto AFSL appeared first on Coinpedia Fintech News

Coinbase stock price teased a bullish spike but then hesitated at the worst possible moment. The recent move up toward $189 looked promising, especially coming off that February support zone around $140–$160. That area isn’t random either as it lines up with a two-year-old demand zone. So naturally, buyers showed up.

But let’s not get carried away. The top crypto exchange company’s stock is still restricted by the 50-day EMA as it is still acting like a ceiling, and until that flips, this isn’t a breakout as it’s just another test, because in today’s attempt it didn’t break through. Also, Multiple attempts have already been rejected at this dynamic level, which tells that there’s still supply sitting overhead.

Still, the structure isn’t completely bearish in the short term. Price has been grinding higher with small resets, which usually signals some level of accumulation. The question is whether that’s enough.

Death Cross Still Dominates The Bigger Trend

Now for the uncomfortable part. Back in mid-December 2025, Coinbase stock printed a death cross and it hasn’t exactly invalidated it since. The gap between the moving averages remains wide, which basically screams that bearish momentum hasn’t gone anywhere.

So even though the recent bounce looks nice on the surface, zoom out and the trend still leans heavy to the downside.

Indicators aren’t doing bulls any favors either. OBV is sitting at -45.58 million, well below the zero line. CMF? Negative 0.19. That’s not exactly a flood of capital rushing in but it’s more like cautious dipping of toes.

Accumulation Zone Builds Quietly Below Resistance Levels

But interesting part is that $140–$160 range isn’t just support but it’s turning into an accumulation zone. Price keeps revisiting it, bouncing, and then pushing higher. That kind of behavior usually means someone’s buying… just not loudly.

If COIN price can finally flip the 50-day EMA, there’s a clear path toward $240. That’s roughly a 30% move from the current ~$182 range. Not guaranteed, obviously, but technically clean.

Until then? It’s a waiting game.

Coinbase Expands Globally With New License Approval

Meanwhile, on the fundamentals side, Coinbase isn’t exactly sitting still. The exchange just secured an Australian Financial Services Licence with retail derivatives authorization. Translation: it can now roll out crypto and equity perpetuals in Australia, with options expected later.

That’s a big step toward its “Everything Exchange” ambition. And let’s not forget that Coinbase still holds 15,876 BTC, making it one of the largest corporate holders out there. So yeah, it’s not just a trading platform. It’s deeply tied into the broader crypto ecosystem.

So, if Coinbase stock can reclaim that EMA level, momentum could flip fast. But if it keeps getting rejected, that accumulation zone might get tested again and harder.

Why Coinbase’s Recovery Matters for Ethereum

Investors often look for a “Coinbase token,” but the exchange remains uniquely tied to the Ethereum ecosystem. While Coinbase’s Layer 2 network, Base, is a massive growth driver, it does not have a native token; instead, it utilizes ETH for all gas fees.

Technically, this creates a symbiotic relationship: if the Coinbase stock breaks its 50-day EMA resistance due to increased on-chain activity, it likely signals a surge in Base network usage. Because Base settles on Ethereum, a bullish breakout for COIN often serves as a fundamental tailwind for ETH, driving utility and demand for the asset as the underlying “gas” of Coinbase’s global expansion.

Americans are getting smaller pay raises while tariffs and higher gas prices are threatening to make everything more expensive.

Translation: The affordability problem isn’t improving.

New government data released Friday showed non-supervisory workers getting a 3.4% pay raise on average hourly earnings over the last year. That’s the slowest pace of wage gains since 2021, and a downshift from the last two years, when pay bumps were closer to 4%.

The slowdown comes as economists worry about rising inflation, with the Iran war choking off oil tankers and pushing gas prices up over $1 per gallon in just a month, to a national average of $4.09 on Friday.

As diesel costs break $5.50 a gallon (compared to just $3.89 a month ago), retailers and grocers are now contending with higher transportation costs. Amazon said Thursday it will begin charging sellers a 3.5% “fuel and logistics-related surcharge” beginning on April 17.

Airlines like United and JetBlue are raising bag fees in an effort to offset sky-high jet fuel costs. The International Air Transport Association says the price of jet fuel is up 104% in the past month.

“With the recent uptick in inflation driven by energy prices, real wage growth is likely to decelerate further, putting increased pressure on consumers,” said Thrivent’s chief financial and investment officer, David Royal.

For now, Americans are still seeing their earnings rise at a faster pace than the increase in price tags at the store. As pay rose by 3.4%, the most recent inflation data showed prices rising by 2.4% year-over-year.

Wage gains for non-supervisory employees — a category that includes roughly four out of every five non-farm workers — have been outpacing price increases since March 2023, when post-pandemic inflation finally began to cool.

But the concern is that the story could change soon. Because of the bump from oil prices, Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long said it’s possible inflation could pace at 4% this month.

“Four percent is above that 3.5 percent annual wage gain, and that’s where you see a lot of squeeze on workers, particularly middle-class and moderate-income workers,” Long said.

Warning signs are flashing that slowing wage growth could ripple beyond the gas station and prices at the grocery store. Higher mortgage rates now have some worried about icing out even more potential homebuyers.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose from 5.99% at the start of the war to 6.45% on April 3, according to Mortgage News Daily. The rise is due in part to concerns that the Federal Reserve will have to raise interest rates to tamp down on war-driven inflation.

“With choppy job growth, weaker labor-force attachment and rising uncertainty, many households — especially renters and first-time buyers — could become more cautious as weaker inflation-adjusted wages erode recent affordability improvements,” said Zillow senior economist Orphe Divounguy.

If wages can’t keep up with rising costs across the board, it’s likely that affordability will become a larger issue than it already was prior to the war. An NBC News poll conducted during the first week of the war with Iran found that, for a plurality of respondents, inflation and the cost of living was the most important issue facing the country.

Economists feel the same way.

Responding to a question from NBC News at a March 18 news conference, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell noted that “real” wage gains — a measure of wages adjusted for inflation — need to be positive in order for Americans to feel better about affordability.

“it will take some years of positive real earning gains for people to feel good again, we think. But you’re right — when you talk to people, they do feel squeezed,” Powell said.

Cybersecurity stocks could have more room to run, according to JPMorgan, which sees recent developments in artificial intelligence as a tailwind rather than a threat for leading players like Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike.

The bank reiterated its overweight ratings on both companies following Anthropic’s rollout of its advanced AI model, Claude Mythos Preview, as part of its Project Glasswing initiative.

Rather than disrupting incumbents, JPMorgan argues the move reinforces their role in the evolving cybersecurity ecosystem.

Partnership with Anthropic strengthens positioning

Anthropic’s Project Glasswing brings together more than 40 companies, including major technology firms, to deploy AI tools aimed at detecting and fixing software vulnerabilities.

Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike are among the founding partners, positioning them at the center of this initiative.

JPMorgan analyst Brian Essex said the collaboration is a positive signal for the sector.

“The near-term read from Glasswing is constructive for Security, particularly for CRWD and PANW which were named founding partners and essential layers in the defensive stack, rather than competitive targets,” Essex wrote.

“We view the partnership as a logical step and an indication that Security vendors are essential partners in the effort to fight AI with AI.”

The announcement helped lift investor sentiment, with shares of both companies rising following the news, reversing some of their earlier declines this year.

Palo Alto stock gained 2% on Wednesday, extending from 4% gain on Tuesday. Meanwhile, CrowdStrike surged 1.9% in the session, adding on from 6% gain from the previous session.

AI seen as a demand driver, not a disruption risk

Concerns had emerged in recent weeks that increasingly sophisticated AI models could replace traditional cybersecurity tools.

Those fears intensified after reports of Anthropic’s Mythos model surfaced, pressuring sector valuations.

However, JPMorgan believes the latest partnership changes that narrative. By limiting access to vetted defensive use cases and collaborating with established vendors, Anthropic is positioning itself as an enabler rather than a competitor.

“Anthropic was entering the security tool space as a potential disruptor; today it is partnering with incumbents and restricting model access to vetted defensive use,” Essex noted.

At the same time, AI is expanding the attack surface for enterprises, increasing the need for advanced protection. Essex highlighted that AI is “compounding the security challenge,” with “over 50% of enterprise AI usage [happens] through personal instances outside IT visibility.”

This so-called “shadow AI” trend is expected to drive incremental spending on cybersecurity solutions.

Strong fundamentals support further upside

Beyond the near-term catalyst, JPMorgan points to structural advantages that continue to support both companies’ long-term outlook.

“Security vendors are beginning to capture portions of budgets outside of traditional security as enterprises begin to bring shadow AI under control or CISOs are asked to secure AI-driven projects for business groups outside of IT,” Essex said.

He added that “the data moats, network effects, and switching costs across PANW, CRWD … remain intact with these vendors positioned to benefit from AI-related demand.”

JPMorgan set a 12-month price target of $200 for Palo Alto Networks and $475 for CrowdStrike, implying further upside from current levels.

Despite recent volatility and concerns about AI disruption, the bank’s view suggests that the shift toward AI-driven security could ultimately strengthen, rather than weaken, the position of leading cybersecurity firms.

The post Why JPMorgan sees further upside in Palo Alto and CrowdStrike stocks appeared first on Invezz