Crypto Giants Coinbase and Polymarket Make TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025

Key Takeaways:

• Coinbase’s policy influence and global expansion earned it a spot on TIME’s 2025 list of the 100 Most Influential Companies.
• Polymarket’s $200M fundraising and $1B+ valuation underscore rising mainstream interest in crypto-powered event prediction markets.
• The inclusion of two crypto-native firms highlights the growing institutional and political relevance of blockchain-based platforms in 2025.

Two of the most prominent names in crypto—Coinbase and Polymarket—got TIME-stamped today when they were named to TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025, marking a change in how Wall Street and other traditional institutions see the digital asset space. With regulators gaining steam and real-world implications growing, the crypto industry is now affecting not just markets, but policymaking and public conversation at scale.

Coinbase Recognized for Political Clout and Global Expansion

Coinbase, the mainstream’s favorite U.S.-based crypto exchange that went public in the U.S., has stuck out as a lynchpin of influence in digital asset policy. TIME made Coinbase a 2025 “Disruptor.” Its increased power in Washington and emergent role as a regulatory player.

Expanding Under MiCA in the EU

Coinbase made similar strides in regulation in Europe as U.S. policy activity heated up. The company obtained a digital asset license from Luxembourg’s Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), making it one of the first large crypto players to get approved under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework.

The exchange giant, in announcing the license, has put itself in a position to handle its European user base from its new Luxembourg headquarters and provide compliance across the continent. It also reflects the company’s shift from trading platform to comprehensive crypto infrastructure provider, including its ambitions to enter tokenized equities and compete directly with fintech brokers like Robinhood.

Read More: Coinbase Secures MiCA in Luxembourg, Opening Crypto Access to 450M Across Europe

Polymarket: Event Prediction Meets Blockchain at Billion-Dollar Scale

While Coinbase represents regulatory maturity, Polymarket embodies crypto’s innovative edge—and its inclusion in TIME’s 2025 list highlights the rise of event-driven, decentralized prediction markets.

The platform allows users to speculate on real-world events—elections, economic indicators, geopolitical events—by buying shares in the likelihood of specific outcomes, all powered by blockchain. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, Polymarket’s system reflects market-based probabilities, with shares priced between $0 and $1.

Backed by Major VC Players

Polymarket, meanwhile, is closing in 2025 on a $200 million funding deal led by the venture firm started by billionaire Peter Thiel, Founders Fund, according to reports. The raise will take its valuation to over $1 billion, cementing its position among the cream of the crop in crypto, and making it the most well-funded decentralized prediction market of all time.

As of today, Polymarket still hosts speculative markets on geopolitical flashpoints, such as regime stability in Iran and the likelihood of a U.S. recession, while staying compliant by limiting U.S. user access as per CFTC guidance.

Read More: X and Polymarket Join Forces: A New Era for News and Forecasting on Social Media?

Crypto’s Influence: From Speculation to Institutional Legitimacy

The recognition of both Coinbase and Polymarket by a legacy institution like TIME illustrates a critical shift in how blockchain technology is being perceived—not merely as a speculative asset class, but as a structural layer reshaping global systems.

Coinbase has matured into a regulatory stakeholder and policy driver. Its reach now spans beyond digital currency trading into compliance, lawmaking, tokenized finance, and international regulatory frameworks. Polymarket, by contrast, is showing that crypto can invent entirely new classes of finance, such as decentralized prediction markets that provide novel forecasting and hedging opportunities not possible with traditional markets.

The Road Ahead: Tokenized Assets and Data-Driven Markets

Looking forward, Coinbase’s next move into tokenized equities could redefine retail investing. If granted SEC approval, the exchange could allow users to trade fractionalized stocks on-chain, blurring the line between crypto and traditional assets. This would challenge firms like Robinhood and WeBull, while reinforcing Coinbase’s push to become a one-stop platform for all digital assets.

For Polymarket, institutional interest will likely drive expansion into new verticals. Its core mechanism—trading on event probability—has potential applications in enterprise risk management, data aggregation, and even corporate forecasting. As regulatory frameworks mature, we could see platforms like Polymarket play a larger role in financial modeling and macroeconomic forecasting, using the “wisdom of crowds” approach tied to real financial incentives.

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