Chime, which almost sank in 2016, makes strong Wall Street debut; what changed?

Chime Financial made a strong debut on the Nasdaq, as investor enthusiasm for the much-awaited listing lifted the stock. The counter rallied 37% on its first day after raising $864 million through the IPO.

The digital banking startup set a price of $27 for its shares at open, slightly above the earlier announced range of $24 to $26. They rose as much as 66% to $43, before closing at $37.11 apiece.

For founders Ryan King and Chris Britt, the successful listing was the culmination of a long and difficult journey, one that saw the company almost go under…