SpaceX IPO Ignites Record Demand in Stocks and Crypto Markets on Nasdaq Debut

TLDR:

• SpaceX priced its IPO at $135 per share, raising a record $75 billion on its first day of trading.
• SPCX closed nearly 19% higher at $161, pushing the company’s market valuation above $2 trillion
• Gate.io recorded over $100 million in SPCX trading volume on day one, far ahead of other tickers. 
• Vanda Research noted SPCX retail purchases surpassed Nvidia by more than 3.5 times on debut day.

SpaceX made its long-awaited Nasdaq debut on June 12, 2026, under the ticker SPCX. The company priced its IPO at $135 per share, raising a record $75 billion. Shares opened at $150 and closed nearly 19% higher at around $161.

The listing pushed SpaceX’s market valuation above $2 trillion on day one. Crypto markets responded just as strongly, with tokenized equity platforms recording notable trading volumes tied to the new stock.

Record Retail Demand Greets SPCX on Wall Street

SpaceX’s public debut drew immediate and widespread interest from retail investors. According to Vanda Research, SPCX became the most purchased stock among retail investors on its first trading day. Net retail purchases surpassed those of Nvidia by more than 3.5 times, a remarkable gap for any new listing.

More than 490 million shares changed hands during the session alone. That level of activity placed SPCX among the most actively traded stocks in recent memory.

The strong opening reflected years of pent-up demand from investors who had tracked SpaceX as a private company.

The stock rose as high as $176.52 during intraday trading before paring some gains into the close. Even after the pullback, shares settled around $161, holding well above the IPO price. Post-market activity added further momentum, with shares rising another 3.5% after the closing bell.

SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell rang the opening bell alongside company leadership at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square.

The ceremony also took place simultaneously at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas. The dual celebration reflected the scale of the occasion for the 24-year-old aerospace company.

Crypto Platforms Bridge the Gap Between Equities and Digital Assets

Crypto investors did not wait for traditional brokerage accounts to gain exposure to SPCX. Platforms offering tokenized equity products saw strong demand from the moment the stock went live. On Gate.io, SPCX trading volume crossed $100 million on its first day of listing.

That figure stood out sharply against other equity tickers on the same platform. Circle and Tesla recorded trading volumes of $4 million and $3.5 million respectively on the same day. The gap between SPCX and those assets reflects the level of retail enthusiasm surrounding the SpaceX listing.

Broader equity-related trading on Gate.io typically generates between $10 million and $25 million in daily volume across listed assets.

SPCX surpassed that range by a wide margin within hours of becoming available. That pace pointed to genuine demand from crypto-native investors seeking equity exposure.

Perpetual futures contracts tied to SPCX on Hyperliquid also recorded strong activity ahead of and during the IPO. The SPCX-USDC perpetual contract traded around $176, roughly 30% above the IPO price.

Over $233 million in volume changed hands in those contracts within 24 hours, with open interest climbing above $263 million.

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