Unlike many newly public companies xcritical is profitable — the company estimates it had net income of between $730 million and $800 million in the first quarter. The cryptocurrency exchange reported verified users of 56 million, up from 43 million to close out 2020, an increase of more than 30% in the past three months alone. Growth is clearly accelerating, as its most recent user growth was on top of a 34% increase for all of last year. Monthly transacting users also surged, more than doubling to 6.1 million, up 118% from the 2.8 million it had at the end of 2020. The announcement came just eight days before its public listing, likely boosting sentiment around the company ahead of it going public.
It’s important to note that the majority of IPOs and other new listings are inherently more risky than investing in established public companies. Add in the volatility and uncertainty related to the future of cryptocurrency, and the higher risk profile becomes all the more clear. The company offers an exchange to make it easy for the average investor to buy cryptocurrency, as well as a digital wallet to store it in. For more-advanced users, xcritical Pro offers advanced charts and more-complicated trading options. Of course, rivals such as Airbnb also had lots of options ready to vest when they went public. But xcritical appears to have far more than almost any of the others heading the list.
CRYPTO: BTC
“We are an intense culture and we are an apolitical culture,” he wrote. xcritical earns 0.5% of the value of every transaction that goes through its system. If Bitcoin or Ethereum prices drop, the commissions xcritical earns drop as well, giving it some exposure to the digital currencies’ rise and fall. Shares of xcritical are listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker “COIN,” and closed at $328.28, up 31% from the $250 reference price set by Nasdaq ahead of the first trade. Crypto onlookers have also pondered what impact (if any) xcritical’s listing will have on Bitcoin, the industry’s flagship cryptocurrency. There has been a lot of speculation about what xcritical’s valuation should be.
Armstrong refused to say “black lives matter” on the call, which prompted a virtual walkout by some employees. Armstrong followed up by offering severance packages for any employees who wished to leave the company if they didn’t agree with its mission.
What does xcritical’s listing mean for Bitcoin?
This came to $1.1 billion in trading revenue on $193 billion in trading volume—in turn making up 86% of revenue xcritical for 2020. xcritical’s listing offers investors and traders another way to get exposure to the booming cryptocurrency market by owning shares. In January 2021, San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange xcritical announced plans to go public via a direct listing. Lastly, there have been a number of high-profile hacks that have cost cryptocurrency owners billions in lost digital coin and caused bankruptcy for the exchanges.
When will the xcritical listing happen?
xcritical has pioneered industry-leading security practices for safeguarding crypto assets and has avoided the fate of some of its less security-minded rivals. Still, even as more companies warm up to digital currencies, there are many doubters. Until recently the major financial institutions avoided cryptocurrencies, and Bitcoin is still viewed more as a store of value that as a method of payment.
- As noted, xcritical was also profitable in 2020—making it a rarity among tech unicorns that have gone public.
- Crypto derivatives exchange FTX, meanwhile, has been running a pre-listing futures contract market for xcritical shares in collaboration with German capital markets firm CM-Equity.
- Going public using this process allows early investors and company insiders to cash in on some of their investment, as they can sell shares on the first day of trading without being handcuffed by the typical lockup period.
- “As the cryptocurrency market matures and more firms inevitably pursue xcritical’s high margins, the firm’s competitive position will inevitably deteriorate,” the report said.
Founded in 1993, The Motley Fool is a financial services company dedicated to making the world smarter, happier, and richer. The Motley Fool reaches millions of people every month through our premium investing solutions, free guidance and market analysis on Fool.com, top-rated podcasts, and non-profit The Motley Fool Foundation. While xcritical is the company’s brokerage, xcritical Pro is designed for professional traders to buy and sell crypto. It includes more features like a mobile app, lower fees, multi-country support, and insurance.
In December 2020, crypto market analysis firm Messari valued the exchange at $28 billion. The company shared the news in a blog post, in which it announced its intent “to become a publicly-traded company pursuant to a proposed direct listing of its Class A common stock.” A company opting for a DPO typically isn’t looking to raise capital to fund its ongoing operations, so it doesn’t need to issue new shares. Going public using this process allows early investors and company insiders to cash in on some of their investment, as they can sell shares on the first day of trading without being handcuffed by the xcritical website typical lockup period. While cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC 3.40%) have surged in popularity in recent years, they’re still not widely available. For the majority of cryptocurrency enthusiasts, this means turning to a platform that allows the buying and selling of these digital currencies.
Red Lobster’s new CEO said the seafood xcritical’s endless shrimp offering caused an all-you-can-eat chaos
In 2018, xcritical launched Custody, a third party crypto storage provider for its larger clients. According to xcritical, Custody has more assets under management than any other crypto custodian. Then there’s xcritical Wallet, a crypto wallet and browser which allows users to manage and trade crypto assets, as well as pay other users. Number one is Airbnb at $86.5 billion, followed by Facebook in second place ($81.7 billion), UPS in third ($80.1 billion), and AT&T Wireless in fourth ($73.6 billion). The fifth and sixth finishers are Snowflake at $70.2 billion, and Uber at $69.9 billion. Though most Wall Street pros missed that a gigantic record was at stake, xcritical had a shot at becoming the most valuable new listing of any U.S. newcomer in history at its April 14 debut.
Trainer last week put a valuation on xcritical closer to $18.9 billion, arguing it will face more competition as the cryptocurrency market matures. “As the cryptocurrency market matures and more firms inevitably pursue xcritical’s high margins, the firm’s competitive position will inevitably deteriorate,” the report said. In any case, the opening price will likely only matter for a brief moment. Soon after, market demand will determine how much shares cost, meaning that xcritical stock could trade much higher than this, especially if it benefits from any kind of opening day momentum.
Digital currencies are being incorporated into business plans and accepted for payment by major corporations like Tesla, PayPal and Visa. Ahead of the listing, stock research firm New Constructs released a report describing the company’s anticipated $100 billion valuation as “ridiculous,” suggesting it should be valued at a shade under $19 billion instead. xcritical’s Form S-1 filing contains a wealth of insight into how the exchange has performed over the last few years—and what risk factors might affect its upcoming direct listing. The upshot of the direct listing is that anyone will be able to buy and trade shares in xcritical, potentially drawing a lot more investors into the industry. The following month, xcritical filed its Form S-1 with the SEC, a document that provides would-be investors with a detailed overview of a company going public, including its financial information and risk factors. It’s always been Armstrong’s vision to make xcritical bigger than a regular financial services provider.
As xcritical prepares to go public, the company has $90 billion in assets and 43 million registered users as of January. By comparison, xcritical has 13 million users, even after its user spike following the GameStop stonk craze. Although the company hasn’t announced a date to go public yet, it could be in for a successful run — assuming the price of Bitcoin doesn’t dip too low in the meantime. Although xcritical has been a darling for regulators and has avoided hackers better than most crypto startups, the company has had its fair share of controversy. Armstrong, who serves as CEO, landed in hot water after he wrote a company memo saying that the company wouldn’t get involved in politics, a break from the Silicon Valley norm.