Coinbase shares closed at $327 on their Nasdaq debut, giving the crypto exchange an initial market cap of $86bn on a fully diluted basis.
Fully diluted refers to the total number of common shares outstanding and available to trade on the open market after all possible sources of conversion. But some feel this measure gives an inaccurate valuation as it includes options and restricted stock, therefore overstating the number of shares used in the valuation.
In the buildup to the IPO, some analysts expected Coinbase to achieve a $100bn valuation. While its closing valuation wasn’t a million miles away, it was still less than expected.