Bitcoin just turned ten but this year has been quite shaky for the digital currency. Still, while there have certainly been significant lows with regards to its price, there have also been a number of great things it has brought forth for the thriving and equally resilient crypto community. One of the biggest beneficiaries of this has been Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange whose value has been skyrocketing despite the bitcoin slump the industry has experienced in the past few weeks.
On Tuesday, October 30, the San Francisco-based company officially announced a $300 million fundraising round, which, as it turns out, brings the company’s new valuation at $8 billion. This makes it one of the most highly valued exchanges in the United States and among the top ones in the world. The $300 million deal is a massive increase from Coinbase’s previous valuation, which was $1.6 billion in August 2017.
Led by Tiger Global Management, the Series E round included participants such as Wellington Management, Andreessen Horowitz, Polychain and Y Combinator. Coinbase plans to use the funds from these series to “accelerate the adoption of cryptocurrencies and digital assets.” Already, these plans seem to be already paying off since the company has already landed the No. 10 spot on the 2018 CNBC Disruptor 50 list, something that has been partly attributed to perfect timing – Coinbase took advantage of the huge opportunity that was created when bitcoin skyrocketed to nearly $20,000 towards the end of 2017.
Catering to Institutional Investors
Cryptocurrencies, in general, have had one of hell of a year losing over 65 percent of their value due to less retail interests. Coinbase, on the other hand, managed to invest immensely in its master plan to cater to institutional investors which has been a defining factor of the company’s success in the world of crypto. In 2018, the company has launched a suite of offerings for tailored specifically for professional investors. Coinbase Custody, one of these offerings, has just recently received regulatory approval from the New York Department of Financial Services.
In addition to that, the company also recently partnered with Circle, another crypto-based company for a project aimed at supporting a digital currency known as “stable coin” which is being marketed as a U.S. dollar-backed cryptocurrency. This particular plan plays into Coinbase’s grand plan to bridge the gap between cryptocurrencies and fiat currency in all regulated markets as well as building out its custody offering “to bring more institutional funds into the space.”
“We see hundreds of cryptocurrencies that could be added to our platform today and we will lay the groundwork to support thousands in the future,” Coinbase President and Chief Operating Office Asiff Hirji added.
Coinbase’s equity and valuation should help the company achieve all this and more by allowing it to add new assets to its very popular trading platform.
