Crypto is hugely popular. Coinbase global could be a takeover candidate.

livemint.com:

Wall Street essentially owns much of the world. And until about six weeks ago, it expected world leaders and politicians to be deferential and willing to do almost anything to placate the almighty investor class.

President Donald Trump has investors wondering if something has changed.

Trump’s use of tariffs to influence other countries is increasingly perceived as antithetical to Wall Street’s best interests. He just hit Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs and increased tariffs on China.

Wall Street is culturally and intellectually wired to avoid conflict. Executives want to do deals, get paid, and do it again. Trump is different. He wants his way more than he wants a deal.

Rather than joining the global fret-a-thon about Trump’s tough ways, investors should change their approach. Trump cannot be anticipated. He can only be reacted to. It helps if you know how to use options to benefit from stock price volatility.

Consider cryptocurrency. It surged after Trump’s re-election because Trump likes it, though prices have since withered in the absence of substantive policies.

This past Sunday, Trump unexpectedly posted on Truth Social that Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solano, and Cardano would join the nation’s crypto strategic reserve. Cryptos first rallied and then declined.

That brings us to Coinbase Global and the U.S. exchanges. We think that Coinbase and a traditional exchange should combine to create a company that has the expertise and operational prestige to dominate crypto’s fragmented markets.

Coinbase’s stock is volatile; it trades as if Trump is the arbiter of its fate. It surged some 100% on Trump’s re-election, and has fallen some 40% since then in the absence of clarity from Trump. During the past 52 weeks, Coinbase