Kraken Revives IPO Plans Amid Bitcoin’s Recent Surge
Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi confirmed this week that the cryptocurrency exchange has filed for a U.S. initial public offering. The company aims to bring advanced, professional-grade trading strategies to everyday individual investors.
The journey to an IPO hasn’t been smooth, however. After initially drafting its S-1 registration statement last November alongside an $800-million raise that valued the company at $20 billion, Kraken’s overall valuation has taken a significant hit.
According to recent industry reports, Deutsche Börse Group is investing $200 million for a 1.5% stake. This implies a revised valuation of $13.3 billion, a steep drop of over $6 billion.
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Less than a month ago, Kraken reportedly put its IPO on ice as a bitter “crypto winter” dragged the price of Bitcoin down 40% from the highs it reached in October.
However, the market appears to be improving of late, with Bitcoin rising recently — it reached a high of more than $76,000 on Tuesday. While it’s still down around 15% for the year, the leading cryptocurrency has been showing signs that it might be in the early stages of a rally.
Coinbase Global (NASDAQ: $COIN) is a key rival of Kraken’s, and it’s also been struggling this year, falling by 16% thus far. While Coinbase, which has a market cap of more than $50 billion, is known for offering a more simplified user experience and can be ideal for beginners, Kraken’s model focuses on traders with advanced trading features and low fees.
For investors seeking exposure to the highly volatile crypto space, Kraken’s upcoming public debut will be a major milestone to watch closely as digital asset prices continue their steady recovery.
