The recent Bitcoin rally has driven Coinbase to the ninth spot in global app rankings, followed by Robinhood at 13.

This surge in popularity marks a resurgence of retail interest, as Coinbase was ranked 435 the night before the US elections.

Retail Interest Revives: Coinbase Climbs to Ninth Globally in App Store

Coinbase’s rapid rise reflects retail investors returning to the crypto market, eager to join the Bitcoin rally. With Bitcoin’s price on the rise, users are downloading trading apps in large numbers to participate.

Robinhood, another major trading platform, is also trending upward, now ranking 13 in the US App Store, while CashApp trails behind at number 30. This simultaneous growth for Coinbase and Robinhood shows a renewed demand for easy-to-use crypto trading platforms.

In March 2024, Coinbase reappeared among the top 100 apps for a brief period. It was the first time it had done so since two years prior, marking the beginning of this renewed interest.

Now, its spot in the top 10 confirms a new wave of retail adoption, likely driven by Bitcoin’s recent performance. As retail investors respond to these market shifts, the crypto space appears to be gaining fresh momentum.

When Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies surge, retail investors flock to trading platforms, fueling increased app downloads. Robinhood’s ranking at 20th also suggests that traditional trading apps that cater to retail crypto demand stand to make significant gains.

Known primarily for stock trading, Robinhood now attracts users seeking both stock and crypto investments in a single app. This rise of Robinhood signals that retail investors want easy, simplified access to crypto, especially during price surges.

“Bitcoin sentiment check: Coinbase App Store ranking on apple iOS 7 day moving average = 191 Possibly only 1-2 weeks away from hitting extreme levels, based on the current pace. *The app reached no.1 in December 2017, April 2021, and November 2021,” said one analyst on X on November 11.

Polymarket Bets on the Bitcoin Rally

Polymarket bettors have been quick to jump on the subject. At the time of writing, users estimate a 58% chance that Coinbase will remain among the top 10 free apps on November 15.

In the crypto industry, app rankings often signal market enthusiasm and can indicate an approaching bull market. This trend also highlights how retail adoption shapes the market for crypto apps.

As platforms like Coinbase climb app rankings, they reveal the crypto market’s vibrancy and responsiveness to price gains. If this pattern persists, more crypto apps could gain popularity, attracting even more retail investors.

Chris Williams, CEO of OpSec, a purported AI Cloud Security platform, announced that he and “the entire core team” resigned. Williams cited a recent investigation from ZachXBT, who claimed that OpSec was fraudulent.

One user, Zopp0, simultaneously owned OpSec and several other projects and withheld critical information and even payment from Williams’ team.

ZachXBT’s OpSec Investigation

Chris Williams, CEO of AI Cloud Security Platform OpSec, announced that he and OpSec’s entire core team were resigning en masse. Williams cited a recent investigation by crypto sleuth ZachXBT and claimed that the business was “no longer viable.” Specifically, he claimed that OpSec’s anonymous founder deliberately withheld critical information.

“This decision follows recent findings, highlighted by ZachXBT, along with our own assessment of OpSec’s operations. These revelations, coupled with the un-doxxed founder’s prolonged absence and sole control over the company’s finances, have severely limited our ability to lead and execute our vision effectively,” Williams claimed.

So, what were ZachXBT’s allegations, and how did they impact the firm’s operations? On the surface level, OpSec appeared to be a legitimate business, even partnering with other cloud computing firms to create DePin solutions. However, Zach stated that one user, Zopp0, created at least four shaky crypto startups, hoping to attract naive investors.

ZachXBT’s investigation began in March when he posted evidence that OpSec’s purported hardware capacities were nonexistent. In November, however, he followed this up with leaked Telegram chats in which Zopp0 openly discussed his total lack of a plan for executing OpSec’s business model. These chats made it clear that the business had no real core.

In other words, Zopp0 managed to insulate Williams and the rest of OpSec’s developers from this lack of functionality. Positive social media buzz, partnerships, and other publicity actions drove up OpSec’s price. Behind the scenes, however, Williams said Zopp0 provided a “lack of clarity regarding OpSec’s direction,” and frequently withheld pay.

The actual fraud here is somewhat similar to several which ZachXBT previously investigated. A seemingly legitimate project courts public interest, but upon closer inspection it cannot execute the purported vision. Zach also claimed that Zopp0 was secretly running OpSec and several less prominent “businesses”, a common tactic in token scams.

After obtaining this leaked information, ZachXBT confronted Zopp0, who became increasingly agitated in private chats. Excerpts from these were again leaked to ZachXBT, building evidence of misconduct.

Zach then released most of this leaked information at once. Williams claimed that this corroborated his team’s own suspicions, leading to the mass resignation.

As of yet, none of Zopp0’s other alleged sham businesses have gone through public employee discontent. Nonetheless, ZachXBT also compiled a list of influencers who helped pump OpSec’s social media presence. He warned of a heightened risk of scammers due to crypto’s bull run and encouraged users to conduct due diligence.