The first cryptocurrency company has just made its debut in Abu Dhabi’s stock market with considerable success. Phoenix’s shares jumped by 50% after an initial public offering (IPO) worth $371 million. According to one of the company’s Co-Founders, this indicates a growing appetite for financial innovations in the Middle East.
Phoenix Group PLC, a technology company specializing in mining digital assets and blockchain technology, had its first listing today (Tuesday) on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX). This marks the local market’s first encounter with a company operating directly in the cryptocurrency industry, and investor response has shown a keen interest in exposure to this sector.
The company chose ADX for its IPO because the exchange “offers a dynamic and rapidly growing financial market that aligns with Phoenix’s vision.” The first day of trading exceeded the expectations of even the most optimistic analysts.
Shares opened at 2.25 dirhams on Tuesday, increasing by 50% from the IPO price of 1.50 dirhams. The offer was 33 times oversubscribed, translating into orders worth $12 billion. For the retail portion of the offering, the oversubscription rate was 180x.
Phoenix debut on ADX. Source: Tradingview.com
“This event is not just about listing our shares; it’s a powerful declaration of the Middle East’s rising prominence in the global tech and blockchain landscape,” commented Munaf Ali, the Co-Founder & Group MD of Phoenix.
🎉🔔 Tomorrow’s the big day!
Join us in spirit as Phoenix Group ushers in a groundbreaking era with our IPO Bell Ringing Ceremony on Dec 5, on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. Keep an eye out for exciting updates from this historic event on the ADX!#PhoenixRising #PhoenixIPO pic.twitter.com/LOjddcgCBw
— Phoenix Group (@phoenixgroupuae) December 4, 2023
Publicly Listed Miners Shifting Focus to AI
Phoenix debuts as a miner on ADX at a time when other publicly listed companies in the same sector are beginning to shift their machines from cryptocurrency mining to supporting the computing power needs of the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. In 2022, the sector generated revenues of $6 billion lower than in the record-breaking year of 2021.
In its report, JPMorgan suggested that the high-performance computing (HPC) sector in AI could become much more profitable than Bitcoin mining. Well-known brands in the Bitcoin mining industry, such as Riot Blockchain (RIOT) and Hive Blockchain Technologies (HIVE), have even changed their names to emphasize the diversification of their businesses. RIOT has become Riot Platform, and HIVE is now Hive Digital Technologies.
Finance Magnates inquired if Phoenix fears that AI might become a more lucrative business in the near future. The company representatives state that the primary focus remains on crypto mining, but Phoenix is “actively monitoring the AI space.”
For the company, this area “could complement existing operations and future growth,” especially if JPMorgan’s forecasts regarding HPC come true.
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