Robinhood, a well-known retail trading platform, has announced its agreement to acquire Bitstamp, a UK-based crypto exchange. This acquisition aims to enhance Robinhood’s global crypto presence and attract institutional clients through new product offerings.

The $200 million all-cash deal is expected to close in the first half of 2025. Barclays Capital and Galaxy Digital provided advisory services for the transaction.

β€œThe acquisition of Bitstamp is a major step in growing our crypto business,” said Johann Kerbrat, General Manager of Robinhood Crypto. β€œBitstamp’s trusted and long-standing global exchange has shown resilience through market cycles. Through this strategic combination, we are better positioned to expand our footprint outside of the U.S. and welcome institutional customers to Robinhood.”

Robinhood did not mention any layoffs or staff changes but confirmed that the two companies will merge and collaborate to ensure consistent service, security, and reliability for customers. Robinhood emphasized that transparency will be maintained throughout this process.

Implications

This merger is important for attracting retail investors to the crypto market, particularly in the United States. With Coinbase holding a significant market share in North America, this acquisition signals Robinhood’s serious commitment to the crypto space, providing increased competition in the retail crypto market.

β€œWe believe crypto will fundamentally reorganize the financial system, and we’re acquiring Bitstamp to accelerate our vision,”

Robinhood’s acquisition of Bitstamp marks the launch of its first institutional crypto business. By leveraging Bitstamp’s offerings, such as the white label solution Bitstamp-as-a-service, institutional lending, and staking, Robinhood can access a pre-established infrastructure in the crypto space. Bitstamp’s core spot exchange, which offers over 85 tradable assets along with its staking and lending products, will significantly bolster Robinhood’s cryptocurrency offerings.

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