Key Takeaways
- Robinhood has finalized its acquisition of Bitstamp
- With the merger completed, Robinhood is branching out into crypto futures
- Exchanges are increasingly expanding into crypto derivatives in the U.S. and Europe.
Robinhood Markets has finalized its acquisition of Bitstamp, closing a $200 million deal that significantly expands the firm’s crypto offering.
Coinciding with the merger, Robinhood has expanded its derivatives offering, which now includes bitcoin and ether futures alongside various stock and index options.
Robinhood-Bitstamp Merger Finalized
The merger between Robinhood and Bitstamp was first publicly reported on June 6, 2024, when Robinhood announced its agreement to acquire Bitstamp for approximately $200 million in cash.
The deal marks Robinhood’s largest acquisition to date. thanks to Bitstamp’s large European and Asian customer bases, the takeover significantly expands Robinhood’s global presence.
In a statement, Robinhood Crypto General Manager Johann Kerbrat said that, “through this strategic combination, we are better positioned to expand our footprint outside of the U.S.”
Branching Out Into Derivatives
Since launching its cryptocurrency trading services in 2018, Robinhood’s crypto offering has been focused on the spot market. But in early 2025, the firm introduce crypto futures trading.
Meanwhile, Bitstamp, now known as Bitstamp by Robinhood, lists futures contracts on a range of crypto assets. However, as with many exchanges, it restricts margin trading to more sophisticated users because of the unique risks involved.
In Europe, Bitstamp’s ability to list crypto derivatives is backed by a string of licenses in the EU and the U.K. Meanwhile, Robinhood secured a U.S. futures trading license through its acquisition of Marex FCM in March, 2024.
Crypto Futures Gather Steam
Alongside Robinhood, other major exchanges have also embraced crypto futures.
For example, Coinbase established a dedicated derivatives exchange in 2022 that was initially reserved for institutional clients. However, in May 2025, the company launched BTC and ETH futures for regular U.S. users.
Meanwhile, in the EU, a growing number of crypto exchanges are seeking registration under the second Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II).
MiFID II is the EU’s regulatory framework for financial markets and investment services.
While the spot crypto market falls under the separate Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation, a MiFID II license is required to offer derivative products like crypto futures.
James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
