Crypto watershed: Coinbase is making its big debut

On Wednesday, cryptocurrencies will take another huge stride towards the mainstream when digital currency exchange Coinbase Global Inc becomes the first major crypto-centred startup to begin trading on a United States exchange.

Not so long ago, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin were derided by many financial-world sceptics as a flash in the pan; a folly for aspiring anarchists and investors with an outsized appetite for risk, not to mention a cloak for criminals engaging in nefarious online activities. Well, that narrative is about to encounter its biggest pushback to date. On Wednesday, cryptocurrencies will take another huge stride toward the mainstream when digital currency exchange Coinbase Global Inc becomes the first major crypto-centred startup to start trading on a United States exchange.