- COIN shares surged 8% after the S&P 500 inclusion announcement.
- Inclusion will expose millions of investors to crypto through index funds.
- Coinbase meets all S&P 500 criteria with a $53 billion market cap.
Coinbase crypto exchange is making headlines in the crypto verse with its entry in the S&P 500. It will be the first crypto company to be included in the S&P 500. As the news came out, the company’s stock price jumped more than 8%. The inclusion in the index will take place on 19 May, and it is a key milestone for the crypto industry.
Inclusion Is a Signal of Increasing Mainstream Acceptance of Crypto
The inclusion of Coinbase in the S&P 500 is the watershed moment for the integration of cryptocurrency into traditional finance. It will become the latest tech company to join the ranks of Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, with a market cap of almost $53 billion. The index tracks the 500 largest publicly traded companies, each representing different sectors.
This addition will automatically add Coinbase to thousands of investment portfolios, retirement accounts, and index funds that track the S&P 500. It will expose millions of ordinary investors to the crypto world for the first time. As per Juan Leon, investment strategist at Bitwise, this will give more exposure and more audience to Coinbase.
Coinbase Chief Financial Officer Alesia Haas said the addition was a “major milestone” for the company and the crypto world. The move is made as Coinbase becomes another giant corporate holder of Bitcoin in the S&P 500 alongside Tesla and Block Inc.
Companies must meet tough criteria to be suitable for the S&P 500, including trading on a major U.S. exchange. It should have a market cap of at least $18 billion, generating at least half its revenues in the U.S., and being profitable in the most recent quarter and calendar year.
Although crypto mining firm MicroStrategy (MSTR) was previously a candidate for inclusion, its latest quarterly loss of $4.2 billion probably rules it out for the near term.
Coinbase’s entrance into the traditional finance industry gives the cryptocurrency industry unprecedented exposure in mainstream financial markets. It may open doors for more institutional adoption and investments in digital assets.
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