CoinGecko Explores $500 Million Sale After 12 Years as Independent Company

The Malaysia-based company has hired investment bank Moelis to advise on the process, which began in late 2024.

Bobby Ong, CoinGecko’s CEO and co-founder, addressed the reports on Thursday through social media and LinkedIn. He confirmed the company regularly evaluates strategic opportunities but stopped short of confirming or denying a sale. “We’re growing, profitable, and seeing increasing demand from institutions as traditional finance embraces crypto,” Ong stated.

Bootstrapped Success Meets Market Consolidation

CoinGecko was founded in April 2014 by Ong and TM Lee as a bootstrapped startup. The platform has operated for nearly 12 years without any external funding or venture capital. The company remained just the two founders until 2018, when they finally began hiring additional staff.

Three anonymous sources familiar with the matter told media outlets that CoinGecko is targeting a valuation around $500 million. However, one source noted it remains too early to determine a final valuation since discussions only began late last year. Neither CoinGecko nor Moelis provided official comments on the potential transaction.

Source: @bobbyong

The choice of Moelis as an advisor signals CoinGecko may be targeting traditional Wall Street institutional buyers rather than cryptocurrency venture capital firms. Moelis has facilitated over $5 trillion in transactions across various industries, including high-profile deals like Netflix’s $83 billion Warner Bros Discovery acquisition.

Record Year for Crypto Mergers and Acquisitions

CoinGecko’s exploration comes during an unprecedented surge in cryptocurrency industry consolidation. According to data from Architect Partners, publicly disclosed crypto mergers and acquisitions reached $37 billion in 2025, more than seven times the previous year’s total.

The 2025 figures crushed analyst expectations of approximately $30 billion and set a new record for the sector. Deal volume increased 74% year-over-year to 356 transactions. Notably, 39 deals exceeded $100 million and 17 surpassed $500 million.

Major transactions in 2025 included Coinbase’s $2.9 billion acquisition of derivatives platform Deribit and Kraken’s $1.5 billion purchase of NinjaTrader. Payment companies also made significant moves, with Stripe acquiring Bridge and Ripple purchasing GTreasury, both for amounts exceeding $1 billion.

Industry experts expect 2026 to surpass even these record numbers. Karl-Martin Ahrend, co-founder of crypto M&A advisory Areta, told reporters that traditional financial institutions are particularly interested in acquiring digital assets capabilities in the stablecoins and payments sectors.

Competitive Landscape and Market Challenges

CoinGecko competes primarily with CoinMarketCap, which Binance acquired in April 2020 for an estimated $400 million in a combination of equity and BNB tokens. That deal provides a benchmark for CoinGecko’s current valuation target.

Both platforms have faced significant traffic declines recently. CoinGecko’s monthly traffic dropped to approximately 18.5 million visitors in December 2025, down from 43.5 million in 2024. CoinMarketCap experienced similar challenges, with traffic falling to 64 million from 157 million over the same period.

The decline appears linked to increasing use of AI chatbots for cryptocurrency information. Users are turning to conversational AI tools rather than visiting dedicated data aggregation websites for price checks and market information.

Despite these headwinds, Ong emphasized that CoinGecko operates from a position of strength. He noted the company remains profitable with growing institutional demand as traditional finance embraces cryptocurrency markets.

What Happens Next

The sale process remains in early stages with no guarantee of completion. CoinGecko has not confirmed whether it will proceed with a transaction or maintain its independence. The company stated operations continue “business as usual” with no immediate changes to how it delivers data or serves users.

Ong and co-founder TM Lee emphasized their commitment to providing unbiased, high-quality cryptocurrency data. This neutrality has been a cornerstone of CoinGecko’s approach since its founding, distinguishing it in a market where many platforms have accepted external funding that could influence their operations.

The timing of CoinGecko’s exploration aligns with broader industry trends. Regulatory clarity has improved significantly, particularly in the United States under the new administration. Interest rates and market conditions have also become more favorable for large transactions.

Traditional financial institutions are actively seeking to acquire cryptocurrency capabilities rather than building them internally. This creates strong demand for established platforms like CoinGecko that already have proven technology, user bases, and market positions.

The Road Ahead for Crypto Data

The potential sale represents a significant moment for one of cryptocurrency’s oldest independent data providers. CoinGecko’s 12-year journey from a side project to a company exploring a half-billion-dollar valuation demonstrates the maturation of the cryptocurrency industry.

Whether CoinGecko ultimately sells or remains independent, the exploration itself highlights how valuable reliable cryptocurrency data has become. As institutional adoption accelerates and traditional finance enters the space, platforms that provide trusted, comprehensive market information command premium valuations.

The coming months will reveal whether CoinGecko joins the consolidation trend or continues its independent path. For now, the company maintains its operations while quietly evaluating what the future might hold.