Bullish announces intent to go public on NYSE
Bullish, a technology company focused on developing financial services for the digital assets sector, announced it intends to go public on the New York Stock Exchange through a merger with Far Peak Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”). Bullish is preparing to release a revolutionary, regulated cryptocurrency exchange that offers deep, predictable liquidity with technology that enables retail and institutional investors to generate yield from their digital assets.
The business combination of Bullish and Far Peak has a pro forma equity value at signing of approximately US$9.0 billion at US$10 per share, to be adjusted at transaction closing based on crypto asset prices around that time. The proceeds include net cash in trust of approximately US$600 million (assuming no redemptions) and US$300 million of committed private investment in public equity (“PIPE”) anchored by EFM Asset Management, with participation from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Cryptology Asset Group, Galaxy Digital and several other renowned institutional investors.
The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2021 and is subject to approval by Far Peak stockholders and other customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The Boards of Directors of both Bullish and Far Peak have unanimously approved the proposed transaction.
Far Peak is a SPAC team focused on bringing leading financial and fintech companies public. Far Peak CEO and Chairman Thomas W. Farley previously served as the President of the New York Stock Exchange, bringing 15 years of world-class exchange leadership. Upon completion of the transaction, Far Peak CEO Thomas W. Farley will become the CEO of Bullish and Block.one CEO Brendan Blumer will be appointed Chairman of Bullish.
Focused on innovative financial services, Bullish seeks to rewire the traditional exchange in order to benefit asset holders, enable traders, and increase market integrity. As mainstream institutions increasingly embrace digital currencies, Bullish aims to make this asset class more accessible and rewarding to investors while developing the next-generation infrastructure required to better suit their needs.
“We believe Bullish’s real-time portfolio balancing tools, deep predictable liquidity, and industry-leading security and compliance represent a new breed of exchange design and can redefine how investors trade and manage digital assets,” said Brendan Blumer, CEO of Block. one. “We are excited to be partnering with Far Peak to bring Bullish into the public markets to offer our customers the opportunity to own a part of our business.”
In the coming weeks, Bullish exchange will run a private pilot program leading up to its public launch anticipated later in 2021. In the pilot program, participants will be able to test and experience the platform first-hand within a simulated market environment, testing out Bullish exchange’s proprietary innovations, including the Bullish Hybrid Order Book and Liquidity Pools which are designed to provide deep and deterministic liquidity, along with a user-friendly trading experience underpinned by industry-grade security and auditability.
“Bullish represents a promising future for financial services,” said Thomas W. Farley, Chairman and CEO of Far Peak. “With the increased interest from institutional players and sophisticated traders, it is critical to iterate on the existing exchange infrastructures we see today. Bullish is well positioned to strategically deliver value to its prospective shareholders as it capitalizes on market trends and places technological innovation at the core of its identity. We’re only in the first or second inning of the cryptocurrency market and I’m thrilled to be joining the Bullish team as we revolutionize the future of digital assets through cutting edge financial technologies.”
During the past year, Bullish received an initial capital injection by Block.one of US$100 million and digital assets comprising of 164,000 BTC and 20 million EOS, and completed a previously announced US$300 million strategic investment round. Bullish is backed by a roster of prolific investors and leading names in the venture capital space including Peter Thiel’s Thiel Capital and Founders Fund, Alan Howard, Louis Bacon, Richard Li, Christian Angermayer’s Apeiron Investment Group, Galaxy Digital, and global investment bank Nomura.