Coinbase Joins the S&P 500—Is This Crypto’s Mainstream Breakout or Just Wall Street Catching Up?

Coinbase’s S&P 500 debut isn’t just a win for crypto—it’s a flashing neon sign that traditional finance is finally admitting digital assets aren’t going anywhere. After years of eye-rolling and regulatory foot-dragging, Wall Street’s old guard just handed the industry its most legitimizing badge yet.

But let’s not pop the champagne yet. Institutional adoption has always been a double-edged sword—ask Bitcoin ETFs how it feels to be loved to death by the same suits who called it a scam in 2018. This move could trigger a domino effect: more crypto-native companies hitting major indices, more pension funds dipping toes (or cannonballing) into digital assets, and—inevitably—more bureaucratic ‘innovation’ like the SEC’s patented ‘regulation-by-lawsuit’ strategy.

One thing’s certain: the lines between crypto and ‘real’ finance just got blurrier. Whether that means liberation or assimilation depends on who’s holding the leash—and whether decentralized purists can outmaneuver the hedge funds now circling like sharks in chinos.

What impact will Coinbase’s S&P 500 inclusion have on the market?

Coinbase’s inclusion in the S&P 500 is expected to drive strong demand for its stock. Funds tracking the index will now be required to add COIN shares to their portfolios.

The company will likely enter as a lower-weighted firm in the index. Its presence signals growing institutional recognition of crypto’s role in the U.S. economy.

Investor enthusiasm has already surged. According to Google Finance, its shares rose 8% in after-hours trading. Earlier that day, the stock closed 4% higher, bringing its market cap to $52.8 billion.

Coinbase CFO Alesia Haas called the MOVE a “major milestone” for the company and the broader crypto ecosystem.

She said,

”Joining this prestigious index reflects how far Coinbase and the industry have come and is a signal of where the world is heading.”

Coinbase’s market trend

At press time, Coinbase was trading at $226 in after-hours markets, well below its December peak of $343.

Since its Nasdaq debut in April 2021 under the ticker COIN, it has remained the largest publicly traded pure-play crypto firm.

While its market cap once reached $85 billion at launch, it now sits around $53 billion.

In February, Oppenheimer analyst Owen Lau predicted Coinbase’s potential S&P 500 inclusion. He cited five consecutive months of growth and reaffirmed a bullish $388 price target.

Coinbase’s upcoming entry into the S&P 500 underscores its growing influence in both the U.S. spot and crypto derivatives markets. This expansion is strengthened by its recent $2.9 billion acquisition of Deribit.

Although companies like PayPal, Visa, and Block offer crypto services, Coinbase stands out as the only pure-play crypto firm to meet the index’s strict criteria.

Strategy takes the lead

In contrast, MicroStrategy, despite its massive Bitcoin holdings, continues to miss the mark due to profitability requirements.

Following this, Coinbase Asset Management President Sebastian Bea hinting at a possible change in how the U.S. values its Gold reserves.

This accounting adjustment could unlock nearly $100 billion in budget-neutral capital.

Though unrelated to Coinbase’s S&P 500 listing, the timing highlights the firm’s growing involvement in broader economic discussions.