Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN ), a leading cryptocurrency exchange, experienced a substantial boost in its stock value, reaching an 18-month high at $119.77 on Monday. This surge, amounting to a year-to-date increase of 256.5%, comes amid legal challenges faced by its rival Binance. The latter recently agreed to a $4.3 billion settlement with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for regulatory violations, which also includes commitments to future compliance oversight for up to five years.