Robinhood (NASDAQ:HOOD) 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 reporters.

"For us, it's combining the strengths of the two businesses. We are one of the largest retail marketplaces in the U.S. ... They have products that we don't have, like order books, crypto as a service, advanced API and lending and staking, and thanks to that, we will be able to get into this space not starting from scratch."

HOOD shares $1.71, or 2.5%, to begin the session at $69.69.

COMTEX_466054027/2559/2025-06-03T10:12:39