Coinbase IPO Launch on Wednesday Confirms Crypto's Arrival as Asset Class On 4/12/21 at 2:27 PM EDT The planned launch of Coinbase's IPO this week coincides with Bitcoin's continued climb to what could be a new high and Wall Street's growing acceptance of the cryptocurrency as an asset class. The cryptocurrency trading platform is scheduled to go public Wednesday via a direct listing on Nasdaq. Coinbase is a "unicorn"—a privately held company valued at $1 billion or more—and profits make it golden. Gil Luria, an analyst at D.A. Davidson, said the deal is speculative, but could be an "Amazon moment" for investors.