Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong deliberately mentioned "Bitcoin," "Ethereum," "blockchain," "staking," and "Web3" during the firm's Q3 earnings call, boosting prediction market odds for those terms to nearly 100% on platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi. While Armstrong called it spontaneous fun, critics labeled it market manipulation, though trading volumes were minimal—Polymarket saw under $450 combined for "Web3" and "staking." Coinbase emphasized its policies prohibit such employee participation, as shares rose nearly 5% to $343.78 on strong earnings.