America’s largest cryptocurrency exchange reported $1.8 billion in net revenue last week, but many people were more interested in the CEO’s impromptu remarks at the end of the earnings call than the company’s financial performance. Why Is Coinbase’s CEO Meddling With Prediction Markets? What started off as lighthearted trolling quickly turned into a full-blown indictment of prediction markets, at least by some. Polymarket, which claims to be the world’s largest prediction market, called it “diabolical work,” although the comment appeared to be tongue-in-cheek. Jeff Dorman, chief investment officer (CIO) at Arca, a crypto money manager, characterized it as “crap.” (Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong “spontaneously” mentioned all the words prediction markets were betting would be said during Coinbase’s Q3 earnings call on Thursday.) What Polymarket, Dorman, and others were referring to are Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong’s bizarre remarks at the end of the company’s Q3 earnings call on Thursday afternoon after Armstrong learned that investors were betting money on which words would be said during the event. “I was a little distracted because I was tracking the prediction market about what Coinbase will say on their next earnings call,” Armstrong said. “And I just want to add here, the words Bitcoin, Ethereum, blockchain, staking, and web3 to make sure we get those in before the end of the call.” That quip stunned the public, with some calling Armstrong a “legend” while others condemned him for tampering with prediction markets. But why all the fuss? The answer depends on whether Armstrong’s antics should be considered playful or actual market manipulation. Polymarket shows nominal volume of $3,914 for the prediction market titled “What will Coinbase say during their next earnings call?” But Bloomberg and Techcrunch reported that “$84,000 had been bet on whether certain words would be spoken on the cryptocurrency company’s call.” Either way, whatever money was at stake turned out to be relatively inconsequential, so from that perspective, Armstrong’s remarks lean more toward the playful end of the spectrum. But others, including Dorman, still view the act as proof that prediction markets can be easily tampered with, regardless of the monetary value. “I’m tired of dumping on Clownbase,” Dorman wrote on X. “But you need your head examined if you think it’s cute or clever or savvy that the CEO of the biggest company in this industry openly manipulated a market.” Armstrong took it all in stride, describing the quip as “fun” and something that “spontaneously happened.” So far, there doesn’t seem to have been any significant reputational damage, with many even thanking the 42-year-old CEO for the sneaky move. “This is awesome! Giving back to the people,” said 3point0 Labs founder Marquel Martin. FAQ ⚡ What did Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong do? He jokingly mentioned crypto buzzwords at the end of an earnings call to influence a live Polymarket bet tracking Coinbase’s language. How big was the market he affected? Reports say around $84,000 was wagered on whether certain words like “ Bitcoin” or “Web3” would be said. Why are people upset about it? Critics argue it proves how easily prediction markets can be manipulated, undermining their credibility. How did Armstrong respond? He brushed it off as spontaneous fun, while others in crypto praised the stunt as harmless entertainment.