According to latest reports, ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, has bought into Bullish after its explosive debut on the New York Stock Exchange, buying 2.53 million shares across its ETF suite. This is happening even as a sea of crypto IPOs are back in full swing, with institutional heavyweights and investor excitement.
Institutional Appetite is Back
ARK’s investment across the multiple ETFs involves 1.7 million shares via ARKK, 545,416 via ARKW, and 272,755 via ARKF; totaling $172 million, which really shows aggressive investment bets. This reveals institutional confidence in Bullish’s model particularly at present times when crypto valuations and IPO interest are heating up.
Bullish’s IPO reportedly closed at $37 per share, above its expected range of $32–$33. Priced aggressively and with interest confirmed from BlackRock and ARK itself, the IPO raised $1.11 billion and gave the company an initial valuation of $5.4 billion.

Crypto IPOs are Back: What Bullish Brings to the Table
Bullish shares opened at $90, went to $118 triggering trading halts, then cooled to $70, garnering an 85% gain.
This is the same kind of crypto IPO momentum seen with other high-profile listings such as Circle and Figma, which both enjoyed strong first-day performances.
Bullish, co-owned with CoinDesk, offers an institutional-grade digital asset platform including spot, futures, derivatives. Led by ex-NYSE president Tom Farley and backed by Peter Thiel, it places itself as a safer and more professional alternative to retail-driven exchanges.
Bullish also has a stablecoin-backed capital reserve strategy, converting a big chunk of IPO proceeds into dollar-backed tokens, a safeguard given the volatility of crypto markets.
ARK Invest’s Crypto Strategy
ARK isn’t just investing in Bullish. The firm has a history of calculated crypto moves. It bought $373 million of Circle on the company’s debut and earlier added Coinbase and BitMine on market drops.
These are all part of ARK’s long term focus on infrastructure, fintech and blockchain platforms, including buying crypto-native companies when the market goes down.
Bullish’s IPO and ARK Invest’s buy-in means the crypto IPO floodgates may be open again. With regulators more flexible and institutional investors looking for regulated digital asset exposure, crypto companies that were sidelined are finding ways through Wall Street.
This could lead to more institutional capital flowing into crypto public equities, strengthening legitimacy and turning around the intersection of crypto and traditional finance.

Conclusion
Based on the latest research, it appears that the crypto IPO momentum story is back on. ARK Invest buying 2.53 million Bullish shares demonstrates institutional conviction in the crypto-to-public markets path.
Bullish’s IPO, with stablecoin strategy and backed by big names, has gotten attention and ARK Invest’s buying means they believe this IPO wave is here to stay.
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Summary
After a wild but successful IPO, ARK Invest put $172 million into three ETFs on Bullish, betting on institutional adoption and more crypto IPOs. Bullish’s performance, backed by stablecoin strategy and CoinDesk ownership, sets it apart in a crowded field of new digital asset entrants.
FAQs
Why is ARK investing in Bullish now?
Because it shows confidence in crypto infrastructure companies getting legit in public markets and ARK puts its weight on that kind of innovation.
Will this mean more crypto IPOs?
Bullish’s successful launch, with institutional demand behind it, may open the door for other crypto companies like Gemini and Grayscale to list.
What makes Bullish unique among exchanges?
Its linkage with CoinDesk, Tom Farley at the helm, institutional focus and stablecoin backed capital make it stand out in a crowded space.
Is this a repeat of ARK’s past crypto trading strategies?
ARK has always bought into crypto infrastructure assets during dips to get long term exposure to the sector’s growth.
Glossary
Crypto IPO Momentum – New companies in the crypto space going public and attracting institutional money.
Spot, Futures, Derivatives Trading – Products for different trading strategies; Bullish offers all.
Stablecoin Backing – Converting proceeds into USD backed tokens to mitigate market risk.
Institutional Crypto Infrastructure – Companies that provide the plumbing—trading platforms, news, custody—for crypto markets.