Just yesterday, cryptocurrency exchanges were banned from advertising on Google, and today the stocks of one of them are being added to the main index of the American stock market:
Starting May 19, 2025, Coinbase shares will officially be included in the S&P 500 index, replacing Discover Financial Services.
Why is this important:
• Recognition of legitimacy. The S&P 500 index includes only companies that meet strict criteria for liquidity, capitalization, financial stability, and reporting. Coinbase, with a profit of $65.6 million in the first quarter of 2025, has confidently passed this filter.
• Inflow of capital. Inclusion in the index could lead to an inflow of up to $9 billion in Coinbase shares. Why? Trillions of dollars are tied to the S&P 500 index through ETFs and pension funds, which will now have to buy Coinbase shares.
• Cryptocurrencies in retirement savings. As Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong noted: “Cryptocurrencies are about to enter 401(k) — the main retirement savings format in the U.S.” Millions of Americans, even unknowingly, will become indirect investors in the crypto sector.
Why is this a historic moment?
Just 4 years ago, in 2021, Coinbase went public, becoming the first publicly traded cryptocurrency exchange.
Breaking into the S&P 500 in such a short time is like winning Olympic gold after a decade of training in the basement.
How many skeptics were there back then? Now Coinbase sits at the same table as Apple, Microsoft, and other giants of the American economy. Crypto has officially become part of the global financial system.