As cryptocurrencies continue to boom, the tech has finally (maybe?) made its way to the mainstream. And what can be a bigger symbol of Wall Street welcoming crypto with open arms than a NASDAQ listing? Coinbase, the biggest crypto platform in the US and the place for all things Bitcoin listed directly on Nasdaq today, solidifying the fact that blockchain is here to stay.
The company’s stocks opened at $381/share, way above the $250 reference price set by Nasdaq, giving it a valuation of $99.6 billion on a fully-diluted basis. Moreover, the price has now moved on to break the $400/share barrier, meaning that Coinbase in now officially worth more than $100 billion.
The company listed directly, instead of going the IPO route, which helps it evade the massive paperwork involved in hiring banks to underwrite the transaction. In a direct listing, shareholders can directly sell their shares to those who are willing to buy it, thus cutting out the middle man, and that’s what blockchain (and by principle-Coinbase) is all about.
That being said, investing in Coinbase is not for the faint of heart. While companies like Apple and Google, which have a stable business and see very few extreme highs and lows are safer bets, Coinbase on the other hand is rollercoaster ride. Cryptocurrencies see rise and dips all the time, and these will definitely reflect in the company’s share price. Think of it like this: Coinbase shares are like cryptocurrencies themselves. They might see peaks and valleys in valuation all the time, but the potential is huge.
It is no surprise that this massively successful stock market debut has done wonders for the world of cryptocurrency. Even hours before the listing started, Bitcoin closed in on a $65,000 price, breaking all previous records. This listing, which might be seen as the day when cryptocurrency and blockchain made their way to the mainstream, have seen all major coins balloon up in valuation, and if the trend continues, we might see a lot more Coinbase competitors make their way to the stock market in the future.
