Robinhood's $200 million Bitstamp deal takes it beyond retail trading

Robinhood has officially closed its $200 million acquisition of Bitstamp, bringing one of the world's longest-running cryptocurrency exchanges into its fold and signaling a strategic shift beyond retail trading and into the world of institutions. The all-cash deal, first announced last year, gives Robinhood an immediate international footprint — including more than 50 active crypto licenses across Europe, the UK, and Asia — as well as an established institutional client base, something the retail trading app has long lacked. For Robinhood, the deal marks a move into deeper waters: institutional crypto flows, lending and staking infrastructure, and white-label "crypto-as-a-service," products built for hedge funds, fintechs, and registered investment advisors — all of which require robust systems for custody, price discovery, and settlement. "I wouldn't call it necessarily a pivot," Robinhood Crypto General Manager Johann Kerbrat told CNBC. "For us, it's combining the strengths of the ... Read full article.