Coinbase IPO: how to buy Coinbase shares
Coinbase is a US cryptocurrency exchange with an IPO on the horizon. While the company isn’t yet publicly listed, we’ll show you how to buy, sell and short Coinbase shares for when the company completes its IPO.
Coinbase shares: the basics
We don’t currently know much about the Coinbase IPO. What we do know, is that the company submitted a draft registration document with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 17 December, 2020.
This document is currently confidential and we won’t know the exact details of the IPO – like the exchange the company is going to list on or its target share price – until it has successfully completed its registration with the SEC.
Coinbase: a brief history
Coinbase was founded in 2012 by Brian Armstrong – who serves as the current chief executive officer (CEO) – and Fred Ehrsam. It is headquartered in San Francisco, and acts as a cryptocurrency exchange and broker for bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ether, ripple, litecoin and others.
The company has been growing since its creation and it registered its intention to carry out an IPO with the SEC in December 2020, meaning that the company could go public in 2021.
Coinbase business model
Coinbase has two core products. The first is an exchange for trading the aforementioned cryptocurrencies – known as a Global Digital Asset Exchange (GDAX). The second is a user-facing platform for trading bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ether ripple, litecoin and others.
Coinbase offers accounts to potential clients for cryptocurrency trading. In total, the company offers over 25 cryptocurrencies to its users, some of which are niche opportunities referred to as ‘altcoins’ because they are not widely known in the cryptocurrency mainstream and don’t have the name recognition of bitcoin, litecoin, ether and ripple.
The company charges a commission fee for its users to use its platform and its users can trade with leverage.
IGA, may distribute information/research produced by its respective foreign affiliates within the IG Group of companies pursuant to an arrangement under Regulation 32C of the Financial Advisers Regulations. Where the research is distributed in Singapore to a person who is not an Accredited Investor, Expert Investor or an Institutional Investor, IGA accepts legal responsibility for the contents of the report to such persons only to the extent required by law. Singapore recipients should contact IGA at 6390 5118 for matters arising from, or in connection with the information distributed.
The information/research herein is prepared by IG Asia Pte Ltd (IGA) and its foreign affiliated companies (collectively known as the IG Group) and is intended for general circulation only. It does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial situation, or particular needs of any particular person. You should take into account your specific investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs before making a commitment to trade, including seeking advice from an independent financial adviser regarding the suitability of the investment, under a separate engagement, as you deem fit.
Please see important Research Disclaimer.
Explore the markets with our free course
Discover and learn how the range of markets you can trade on with IG Academy's online course – ‘Introducing the financial markets’.
Put learning into action
Try out what you’ve learned in this shares strategy article risk-free in your demo account.
Ready to trade shares?
Put the lessons in this article to use in a live account – upgrading is quick and easy.
- Trade on over 10,000 popular global stocks
- Protect your capital with risk management tools
- React to breaking news with out-of-hours trading on 70 key US stocks
Inspired to trade?
Put your new knowledge into practice. Log in to your account now.
