Choices buying and selling platform Deribit has reportedly drawn curiosity from potential consumers and is working with FT Companions to discover strategic alternatives, Bloomberg Information reported on Jan. 14, citing sources acquainted with the matter.
The platform has seen a meteoric rise in buying and selling exercise, with its complete buying and selling quantity almost doubling to $1.2 trillion in 2024. As of this 12 months, Deribit providers institutional purchasers straight by its Dubai-based entity, Deribit FZE, whereas a Panamanian subsidiary manages retail purchasers.
The sources mentioned that FT Companions, initially retained in early 2023 to rearrange secondary inventory gross sales for Deribit’s buyers, has expanded its position to incorporate assessing potential bids for the whole agency.
Whereas Deribit has not formally up on the market, the corporate acknowledged receiving curiosity in strategic investments from numerous events. The corporate mentioned in a press release:
“Over time, we have now acquired curiosity in strategic investments from quite a lot of events, which we won’t disclose.”
Kraken has reportedly explored buying Deribit however in the end determined to not proceed. One supply estimates Deribit’s valuation might vary from $4 billion to $5 billion. FT Companions and Kraken declined to remark.
In accordance with CoinGlass knowledge, Deribit had registered over $26 billion in month-to-month buying and selling quantity for Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) choices contracts as of Jan. 13.
Surging M&A strikes
The curiosity in Deribit comes amid a surge in crypto-related mergers and acquisitions (M&A), fueled partially by a post-election rally in digital asset markets.
Publicly introduced M&A exercise within the crypto sector climbed to $1.2 billion within the fourth quarter of 2024, a pointy improve from $400 million throughout the identical interval a 12 months earlier, in keeping with Architect Companions.
Latest offers embrace crypto brokerage FalconX buying derivatives startup Arbelos Markets and acquisitions by MoonPay and Chainalysis.
President-elect Donald Trump’s favorable stance towards digital belongings has additional buoyed the business. He has promised to place the US as a world hub for crypto innovation.
With vital curiosity from potential consumers and a thriving enterprise mannequin, Deribit is poised to play a central position within the subsequent part of crypto M&A growth.