Viewpoint: The IPO window for cryptocurrency companies may restart next year, as regulation is no longer the primary obstacle

According to CoinDesk, Christian Lopez, head of blockchain and digital assets at investment bank Cohen & Company Capital Markets, stated that as investors rotate funds into other sectors and macro uncertainty continues to suppress risk appetite, the crypto IPO market has noticeably slowed down.

Lopez pointed out that although the successful listings of Circle and Bullish had raised high expectations for crypto IPOs in 2026, the subsequent weakening of market conditions, declining trading volumes, and underperformance of some post-listing stocks have dampened enthusiasm for new issuances. Several crypto companies, including Kraken's parent company Payward, Consensys, Ledger, and Grayscale, have postponed their IPO plans, waiting for market improvement; however, Blockchain.com and FalconX are still advancing their listing processes.

Lopez believes that the uncertain interest rate outlook and global deleveraging pressures are making investors more cautious about high beta assets like crypto. He expects that the window for crypto companies to go public may not substantially reopen until next year. Additionally, he stated that regulatory clarity is no longer the primary obstacle for crypto companies going public; rather, the ability to access capital and business diversification are more critical.