Robinhood Takes a Big Step Forward with Bitstamp Purchase
Robinhood has made a major move to grow its cryptocurrency business by purchasing Bitstamp, a well-known and long-established crypto exchange. Bitstamp has been operating since 2011 and has earned a strong reputation for being reliable and trustworthy. The exchange is popular not just in the US but also in Europe, Asia, and the UK, with offices in places like Luxembourg, the UK, Slovenia, Singapore, and the US.
This deal means Robinhood now owns a global crypto platform that already has a wide reach and a solid customer base. It allows Robinhood to quickly expand its services beyond the US, which has been its main market so far. Bitstamp holds more than 50 active licences worldwide, which means it’s authorised to operate legally in many countries. This gives Robinhood a big advantage when entering new markets.
Image 1: Robinhood acquires Bitstamp (Source: Robinhood)
Johann Kerbrat, the general manager of Robinhood Crypto, explained that buying Bitstamp will speed up Robinhood’s international growth and open doors to new customers. He mentioned that this deal is particularly important because it marks Robinhood’s first move into institutional crypto services, catering not just to everyday investors but also to large financial organisations.
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Boosting Institutional Trading and Service Offerings
Bitstamp has built its reputation by serving both retail customers — everyday people buying and selling crypto — and institutional clients like hedge funds and investment firms. These bigger clients need advanced features, strong security, and reliable trading platforms, all of which Bitstamp offers. It provides services such as crypto lending, where customers can borrow or lend digital assets, and staking, a way to earn rewards by locking up certain cryptocurrencies.
Moreover, Bitstamp’s platform is known for its “deep order books,” meaning it has a lot of buy and sell orders available at any time. This helps ensure that trades can happen quickly and at fair prices. Bitstamp also offers top-tier API connectivity, which lets institutions connect their own software directly to the exchange for automated trading and other functions.
JB Graftieaux, the CEO of Bitstamp, said that joining Robinhood will create a stronger, more user-friendly trading environment. He pointed out that Bitstamp is recognised for being transparent and compliant with regulations, which is very important in the crypto world. Together with Robinhood, the combined business will maintain a strong focus on keeping customers’ funds safe and providing a reliable service. He said:
“The acquisition of Bitstamp is a major step in growing our crypto business. Bitstamp’s highly trusted and long standing global exchange has shown resilience through market cycles. By seamlessly coupling customer experience with safety across geographies, the Bitstamp team has established one of the strongest reputations across retail and institutional crypto investors.”
For Robinhood, this acquisition is more than just expanding its user base. It’s about upgrading its technology and product offerings so that it can attract a wider range of customers, including those managing large sums of money. Johann Kerbrat described the acquisition as a strategic partnership that blends Bitstamp’s long-term global experience with Robinhood’s commitment to excellent customer service. The result is expected to be a better overall experience for traders of all sizes, wherever they are in the world.
Image 2: Robinhood acquires Bitstamp (Source: Bitstamp)
What This Means for Robinhood’s Future and the Crypto Market
The CEO of Robinhood, Vlad Tenev, has shared that adding Bitstamp to Robinhood’s business marks the beginning of a bigger plan. The company intends to strengthen its presence internationally and grow its crypto offerings. The purchase gives Robinhood immediate access to new markets and new types of customers, including institutions that previously might not have considered using Robinhood.
Importantly, this acquisition introduces Robinhood’s first institutional crypto business. Bitstamp has built a trusted reputation in our industry, serving customers worldwide through a wide range of market cycles.
— Johann Kerbrat (@JohannKerbrat) June 2, 2025
After the announcement of Robinhood’s acquisition of Bitstamp, the stock market responded well. On June 2, Robinhood’s shares closed trading up by 2.77%, reaching a price of $67.98 per share. This shows that investors welcomed the news and believe the acquisition will strengthen Robinhood’s business. The positive momentum continued even after regular trading hours, with shares gaining an additional 0.44% in after-hours trading.
Beyond Bitstamp, Robinhood is also working on boosting its presence in Canada by acquiring WonderFi, a Canadian crypto platform, for about $179 million. This move is part of a broader plan to enter more markets and increase its global footprint. Johann Kerbrat mentioned that Robinhood is open to considering further acquisitions if they can help speed up growth by one and a half to two years.
