On Thursday, on the finish of Coinbase’s third quarter earnings name, CEO Brian Armstrong admitted that he was “just a little bit distracted,” as a result of he’d been “monitoring the prediction market about what Coinbase will say on their subsequent earnings name.”

“And I simply need to add right here the phrases Bitcoin, Ethereum, Blockchain, Staking, and Web3 to ensure we get these in earlier than the tip of the decision,” Armstrong added.

Why blurt these out with none obvious context? As Armstrong hinted, they had been phrases that customers on “point out markets” on Kalshi and Polymarket had wagered can be spoken on the decision. So by talking the phrases, Armstrong was permitting a few of these bets to repay.

Bloomberg stories that whereas point out markets stay a comparatively area of interest a part of prediction markets, a complete of $84,000 had been wager on whether or not sure phrases can be spoken on the cryptocurrency firm’s name. And whereas Armstrong might have helped some Kalshi and Polymarket customers make just a little cash, he was additionally illustrating how simply these markets may be manipulated when executives turn into conscious of them.

The truth is, Jeff Dorman, CIO at digital property funding agency Arca, wrote on X that “you want your head examined when you suppose it’s cute or intelligent or savvy that the CEO of the largest firm on this business brazenly manipulated a market.”

“It’s not enjoyable working tirelessly for 8 years making an attempt to teach institutional traders on the worth of crypto investing as an investable asset class, and dealing to assist them acquire consolation on this business, whereas one of many supposed ‘leaders’ brazenly mocks the business with crap like this,” Dorman stated.

Polymarket, in the meantime, posted that Armstrong’s feedback had been “diabolical work.”

Coinbase is transferring into supporting prediction markets itself by means of its Every little thing Trade, which Armstrong touted on the earnings name, and the corporate has additionally invested in Kalshi and Polymarket. A Coinbase spokesperson informed Bloomberg that the corporate prohibits staff from taking part in prediction markets or associated exercise across the firm.

After Armstrong’s remarks started drawing consideration, he wrote on X, “lol this was enjoyable – occurred spontaneously when somebody on our workforce dropped a hyperlink within the chat.”