Robinhood Acquires Bitstamp for $200 Million to Expand Global Crypto Services

Robinhood has completed its acquisition of Bitstamp, a Luxembourg-based cryptocurrency exchange, for $200 million in cash. This strategic move is aimed at expanding Robinhood's global crypto services, particularly in Europe, the UK, and Asia. Bitstamp, which was launched in 2011, operates in several countries and serves over 50,000 retail users and 5,000 institutional clients. The acquisition brings over 50 licenses and registrations to Robinhood, enhancing its ability to quickly enter new markets and expand its services beyond the United States.

Bitstamp's integration into Robinhood's ecosystem is expected to significantly boost the company's presence in the cryptocurrency market. The acquisition not only adds a substantial client base but also brings a skilled team that will collaborate with Robinhood to maintain top-quality service, security, and reliability. Johann Kerbrat, General Manager of Robinhood Crypto, highlighted the strategic value of the acquisition, stating that it strengthens Robinhood's crypto operations and positions the company to better serve both retail and institutional clients.

The acquisition also enables Robinhood to introduce its first institutional crypto service. Bitstamp's reliable trading, extensive order lists, and solid API linking options make it an attractive choice for institutions. Additionally, Bitstamp offers extra services like crypto-as-a-service, institutional lending, and staking, providing Robinhood with a strong foundation to enter the institutional cryptocurrency sector. JB Graftieaux, CEO of Bitstamp, expressed excitement about the merger, noting that it will empower users to trade more effectively with continued strong security, regulatory adherence, and attention to customer needs.

This acquisition is part of Robinhood's broader strategy to expand its crypto offerings beyond the U.S. Bitstamp's experience in navigating diverse global regulations is expected to be invaluable for Robinhood's international expansion efforts. The deal also brings a sizable operational boost, as Bitstamp recorded $95 million in revenue over the past 12 months leading up to April 30. Robinhood's crypto division reported $252 million in Q1 2025 alone, indicating a strong financial foundation for the integration.

Robinhood has already started integrating Bitstamp into its broader ecosystem, with the exchange platform now linked to Robinhood Legend and its Smart Exchange Routing system. The company expects to incur approximately $65 million in related costs over the rest of 2025 as the integration progresses. This acquisition follows Robinhood's May announcement to acquire Canadian crypto platform WonderFi for approximately $179 million, further solidifying its commitment to expanding its crypto services.

The acquisition of Bitstamp aligns with Robinhood's strategic ambitions to enter the institutional crypto services market. Bitstamp's trading activity is predominantly driven by institutional clients, which complements Robinhood's goal of expanding its product offerings beyond retail services. This move is expected to accelerate Robinhood's development timelines by 18 to 24 months, according to Robinhood Crypto general manager Johann Kerbrat. The company's CEO, Vladimir Tenev, also believes that tokenization of real-world assets, particularly private equities, will be a major focus for Robinhood moving forward.