CoinGecko CEO Discusses $500 Million Acquisition Speculations

CoinGecko’s CEO, Bobby Ong, confirmed on Thursday that the company is looking into “strategic opportunities” amid reports hinting that it is considering acquisition offers valued at around $500 million.

Key Takeaways

CoinGecko is exploring acquisition opportunities worth about $500 million.
CEO Bobby Ong highlighted the company’s growth and profitability over 12 years.
Moelis has been hired for advisory support in the acquisition process.
The cryptocurrency M&A market is experiencing significant growth, reaching $8.6 billion in 2025.

CoinGecko CEO Discusses $500 Million Acquisition Speculations

As CoinGecko explores potential acquisition offers, CEO Bobby Ong shared insights about the company's current status and future plans. With strategic evaluation underway, the cryptocurrency data platform aims to strengthen its market position while benefiting from increased institutional interest in crypto. The market for mergers and acquisitions in the crypto sector is also booming.

CoinGecko's Growth and Future Plans

In a LinkedIn post, Ong stated, “After nearly 12 years of growing CoinGecko as a self-sustained business, a frequent question I face is about our future direction. What I can share is that CoinGecko is expanding and staying profitable, as there is increasing interest from institutional investors as traditional finance incorporates cryptocurrency.”

Reports from various sources suggest that CoinGecko is engaging in discussions about a possible sale, with an estimated worth of $500 million.

Advisory Support from Moelis

Insiders have pointed out that Moelis, a prominent Wall Street investment bank known for its strategic financial advice on mergers and acquisitions, has been brought on to assist in this process. However, one source indicated that it is still too early to pin down an exact evaluation since talks only began in late 2024. Moelis has a reputation for facilitating over $5 trillion in transactions across numerous sectors.

Ong recognized in a post on X that he has received a multitude of inquiries since these reports surfaced and expressed gratitude for the interest shown. He noted that after leading CoinGecko with Co-founder and President TM Lee for over a decade, “as any growing and profitable company would do, we routinely assess strategic opportunities to enhance our business and speed up our mission.”

This suggests that CoinGecko is actively looking for acquisition potentials with a focus on appealing to traditional institutional buyers instead of venture capital firms.

While Ong didn’t elaborate on specific negotiations, he conveyed his excitement for “opportunities that allow us to deliver better services to users and promote institutional adoption of cryptocurrency.”

Notably, CoinMarketCap, another data platform in the crypto space, was bought by Binance for an estimated $400 million back in 2020. Binance had clarified that, despite being interlinked, both CoinMarketCap and Binance would uphold a strict policy of separation.

Many in the crypto industry believe that a $500 million valuation for CoinGecko is justifiable considering the increase in value of crypto market data and the higher valuations that Wall Street intelligence companies are commanding. For instance, Bloomberg L.P., a privately-owned entity, is estimated to be worth tens of billions, with calculations suggesting a value exceeding $120 billion based on a transaction from 2008, and annual revenues topping $13 billion as of early 2025.

M&A Landscape in Cryptocurrency

Throughout 2025, the cryptocurrency sector saw a significant rise in mergers, acquisitions, and initial public offerings, reaching a total deal value of $8.6 billion. This surge was fueled by a more favorable regulatory environment in the United States, prompting renewed activity from investors and financial institutions.

A recent Financial Times report highlighted that 267 crypto-related transactions were made in 2025, reflecting an 18% rise from 2024. The total deal value increased by nearly 300% compared to last year’s $2.17 billion.

CoinGecko $500M Acquisition - Transaction Volume at Record Levels in 2025 Chart

Market participants anticipate that this momentum will continue into 2026, supported by the improvement of regulatory clarity across major jurisdictions.

In 2026 alone, Polygon Labs has announced its plans to acquire Coinme, a cryptocurrency exchange, and Sequence, a crypto wallet infrastructure provider, for upwards of $250 million. Additionally, Fireblocks revealed its acquisition of TRES Finance for over $130 million, looking to fulfill the increasing demand for “audit-ready, tax-compliant” financial documentation in the blockchain sector.

On January 12, Bakkt Holdings, Inc. also announced its decision to acquire Distributed Technologies Research Ltd. (DTR), a move to enhance its stablecoin settlement and programmable payment capabilities, in a transaction involving shares that represent 31.5% of a defined “Bakkt Share Number.”