News 
May 12, 2025 
3 min. 
Wall Street just delivered one of its strongest signals yet that crypto is entering the financial mainstream.
Coinbase (COIN) stock jumped over 8% in after-hours trading on Monday after the announcement that the leading crypto exchange would be added to the S&P 500 index. The inclusion represents a major milestone for both Coinbase and the digital asset industry. It will officially take effect on May 19, when Coinbase replaces Discover Financial, which is being acquired by Capital One.
Crypto Enters the S&P 500 Club
The S&P 500 serves as a benchmark index, tracking 500 of the largest publicly traded U.S. companies across various sectors, including tech, finance, and healthcare. With a market capitalization nearing $53 billion, Coinbase will now join the ranks of established giants like Apple, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.
This inclusion instantly elevates Coinbase’s profile and boosts its visibility among institutional investors and retail portfolios alike.
“This is monumental,” said Juan Leon, Senior Investment Strategist at Bitwise. “The S&P 500 inclusion is going to force seven times the usual daily trading volume into Coinbase. COIN is about to be in every portfolio in America.”
Stock Rallies as Investors React
Following the news, Coinbase stock surged to $225, marking an 8.6% gain in post-market trading. Earlier in the day, the stock had already climbed nearly 4%. Investors appeared eager to act, expecting strong inflows from ETFs, mutual funds, and other institutional products tied to the S&P 500.
Why This Move Matters for the Crypto Industry
Coinbase’s addition to the S&P 500 goes far beyond a technical index change. It clearly signals rising acceptance of crypto within traditional financial markets. For the first time, millions of investors with passive index exposure will indirectly own a piece of a crypto-native company.
In turn, this move helps narrow the gap between digital assets and legacy finance, pushing crypto further into the economic mainstream.
