CoinGecko Seeks Sale: $500 Million Valuation of Crypto Data Giant and Industry Shift

CoinGecko has hired investment bank Moelis & Company as an advisor to explore the possibility of a sale, with a target valuation of approximately $500 million.

This potential deal comes at a time when M&A activity in the crypto industry is accelerating. In 2025, disclosed M&A transactions in the sector totaled $8.6 billion, setting a new high with 133 deals.

01 Transaction Core Information

According to multiple independent sources, crypto market data platform CoinGecko is actively considering a sale.

The company has engaged well-known investment bank Moelis & Company as financial advisor to oversee the entire sale process. Currently, the target valuation set by the company is about $500 million.

This valuation presents an interesting contrast to recent transactions in the crypto data space. CoinGecko’s main competitor, CoinMarketCap, was acquired by Binance in 2020, with reported deal valuation reaching as high as $400 million.

02 Platform Development Trajectory and Industry Position

The story of CoinGecko began during a difficult period in the crypto industry. In 2014, following the collapse of Mt. Gox exchange, Bobby Ong, who majored in economics, and TM Lee, a programming specialist, launched the platform with just $100 in startup capital.

Their goal was to create a transparent and reliable source of crypto data. Over ten years, CoinGecko has grown into a leading industry data provider, tracking over 17,000 tokens.

Its API is widely used by mainstream crypto applications such as Trezor and MetaMask, establishing its role as a key component of crypto infrastructure.

Unlike its direct competitor CoinMarketCap, which has operated independently, CoinGecko has maintained independence. CoinMarketCap was acquired by Binance as early as 2020, becoming part of the world’s largest exchange ecosystem.

03 AI Impact and Data Platform Challenges

The decision for CoinGecko to explore a sale occurs against the backdrop of structural challenges faced by traditional data platforms. As AI technology changes how information is accessed, users are increasingly inclined to obtain market data through AI applications rather than directly visiting websites.

Similarweb data shows that CoinGecko’s monthly visits in December 2025 were approximately 18.5 million, a significant decline from 43.5 million in 2024.

Its competitor, CoinMarketCap, also shows a similar downward trend in traffic. This trend reflects a fundamental shift in user behavior patterns, with AI-driven information aggregation reshaping data distribution models.

04 Crypto M&A Wave and Industry Consolidation

CoinGecko’s exploration of a sale is not an isolated case but part of a broader trend of consolidation in the crypto industry.

In 2025, crypto M&A activity reached a record high, with disclosed transactions totaling $8.6 billion across 133 deals, surpassing the combined total of the previous four years.

Notable transactions include Coinbase’s $2.9 billion acquisition of derivatives exchange Deribit, and Kraken’s $1.5 billion purchase of NinjaTrader.

Polygon Labs recently acquired crypto startups Coinme and Sequence for a total of over $250 million to advance its stablecoin strategy.

05 Moelis Advisor and Valuation Logic

CoinGecko’s chosen financial advisor, Moelis & Company, is a well-known independent investment bank specializing in M&A, capital markets transactions, and restructuring.

The bank has a solid financial foundation, with a market cap of approximately $5.47 billion and revenue of $1.47 billion over the past twelve months. Its healthy balance sheet and a net profit margin of 15.98% demonstrate its strong position in financial services.

Regarding the estimated valuation of around $500 million for CoinGecko, sources indicate that the process was only initiated at the end of 2025 and is still in early stages; the final valuation has not yet been officially determined.

06 Potential Buyers and Industry Impact

Potential buyers may include traditional financial data companies, crypto exchanges seeking to enhance their data services, or tech giants looking to enter the crypto space.

If the deal is successfully completed, it could further accelerate consolidation in the crypto data sector, potentially reducing the number of independent data providers. This would also redefine the business models of data services in the crypto industry, encouraging more platforms to explore AI integration and value-added services.

For exchanges like Gate, having an independent and reliable data source is crucial for building market trust and transparency.

Regardless of who ultimately acquires CoinGecko, maintaining data neutrality and accuracy will be key to preserving its reputation within the industry.

07 Future Path of the Crypto Data Industry

Crypto data platforms are at a crossroads. The rise of AI technology is changing how users access information, forcing them to rethink their value propositions and business models.

Future crypto data platforms may integrate AI capabilities more deeply, offering personalized insights and predictive analytics, rather than just raw data display. They could evolve into comprehensive analytical platforms combining market data, on-chain metrics, and social sentiment analysis.

As regulatory environments evolve, these platforms may also take on more compliance and monitoring functions, providing data services that meet regulatory requirements for institutional participants.

The transparency and verifiability of blockchain data itself provide a technological foundation for next-generation data services, potentially fostering more decentralized and community-driven data ecosystems.

Regardless of the outcome, a clear trend is emerging: simple data aggregation is no longer the end goal. The next phase of data warfare will unfold across dimensions of AI integration, deep analysis, and ecosystem fusion.