Circle stock price skyrockets 234% in less than 30 minutes causing multiple trading halts

Circle’s (CRCL) shares more than tripled minutes into their New York Stock Exchange debut on June 5, touching $103.75 less than 30 minutes following its launch and resulting in several volatility halts.

The price peak is 234% above the initial public offering (IPO) price of $31, which captured over $1 billion by selling 34 million shares. Circle sold 14.8 million shares, while CEO Jeremy Allaire and other backers divested 19.2 million. 

Trading pauses under the exchange’s limit-up/limit-down mechanism punctuated the opening session as the price surged up.

CRCL surpasses $70 billion in market cap

Bitwise senior investment strategist Juan Leon highlighted that CRCL’s first-day returns rank second in the top 10 IPOs over the past year.

As of press time, CRCL was trading at $83.98, up over 150% from its initial market price.

Banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs priced the stock $3 above the final range of $27 to $28, set earlier in the week. 

The initial trade at $31 implied a $21 billion market value based on listed shares and approximately $26 billion on a fully diluted basis, which includes options, restricted units, and warrants. 

As a result, the $103.75 price briefly made CRCL’s market cap surpass $70 billion.

Signal for crypto projects

Blockworks co-founder Jason Yanowitz said that investment banks and CEOs are paying attention to the significant price increase in CRCL and saying “it’s go time.” He added:

“Get ready for an onslaught of crypto IPOs.”

Moonrock Capital CEO Simon Dedic echoed Yanowitz’s comments, saying CRCL’s debut is a green light for crypto companies and builders, adding:

“If you stay focused, play long-term, and build real value, this is where you could end up. In the end, fundamentals win. Real revenue wins. Fundamental season is officially on.”

Artemis co-founder Jon Ma congratulated Circle, calling the event “definitely a big IPO.” He also predicted that CRCL would close the year at a price of nearly $99.

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