Robinhood Acquires Bitstamp: Fuelling Global Crypto Expansion & RWA Tokenization

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By Tyler Matthews

Robinhood is making a significant move to broaden its global footprint in the digital asset market, headlined by its acquisition of Bitstamp, a long-established European digital asset exchange. This strategic expansion signals Robinhood’s assertive push beyond its traditional U.S. boundaries into international crypto markets.

Key Acquisition Details

The acquisition of Bitstamp is an all-cash transaction valued at $200 million, consistent with an earlier 2024 agreement. This deal significantly bolsters Robinhood’s global reach, providing immediate access to over 50 regulatory licenses and a substantial customer base across the UK, Europe, and Asia. Bitstamp is particularly known for its strong institutional focus, serving 5,000 major clients alongside 50,000 retail users. Financially, while Robinhood’s crypto division alone generated $252 million in the first quarter of 2025, Bitstamp contributed $95 million in the preceding year. The integration process is already underway, with Bitstamp’s systems being linked to Robinhood’s internal infrastructure, including its advanced routing and management tools.

Strategic International Expansion

This strategic acquisition follows another recent international move by Robinhood: the purchase of Canadian crypto firm WonderFi for $179 million. Both deals underscore Robinhood’s intent to aggressively expand its operational footprint and user base beyond the United States, positioning itself as a major player in the global digital asset ecosystem.

Future Vision: Real-World Asset Tokenization

Robinhood’s strategic vision extends beyond mere geographic expansion. CEO Vlad Tenev identifies the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) as the company’s next frontier. During a recent earnings call, Tenev emphasized that tokenizing private equity could revolutionize secondary markets, potentially enabling previously illiquid assets—such as shares in companies like OpenAI or SpaceX—to become accessible and tradeable within minutes. This vision highlights a broader ambition to democratize access to diverse asset classes through blockchain technology.

Outlook and Market Reaction

Kerbrat, head of Robinhood Crypto, has also hinted at further potential acquisitions, noting that strategically executed deals to accelerate growth by up to two years remain a core priority for the company. In response to these expanding crypto ambitions, Robinhood’s shares closed with a 2.77% gain on June 2, showing moderate after-hours increases as investors reacted positively to the company’s aggressive market expansion in the digital asset space.

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