(Reuters) -Circle Internet's shares were set for a strong debut on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, a move expected to boost an IPO market that has struggled to regain momentum. The stock was last indicated to trade between $60 and $61 at debut compared with its IPO price of $31.

In April, Bloomberg reported that Ripple had made an acquisition offer for Circle valued between $4 billion and $5 billion, which was reportedly rejected as undervalued. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse later disputed the report in a conversation with Georgetown Law professor Chris Brummer.

The cryptocurrency company's stock opened for trading on the NYSE at $69 apiece, valuing the stablecoin issuer at nearly $18 billion.