Robinhood Soars 26% on Tokenized Stocks & Bitstamp Takeover—Traders Cheer, Wall Street Scrambles

Robinhood just dropped a crypto-brokerage bombshell—and its stock ripped higher like a meme coin on Elon's Twitter feed.

Tokenized equities land with a bang
The retail trading app rolled out blockchain-based US stock tokens, letting users trade fractional shares 24/7. No more waiting for market opens or sweating over settlement times.

Bitstamp buyout completes the power play
Snapping up the OG crypto exchange gives Robinhood instant European foothold and liquidity. Suddenly the 'hood looks less like a discount broker and more like a full-spectrum crypto powerhouse.

Traders piled in, sending shares up 26%—because nothing pumps a stock like Web3 buzzwords and strategic acquisitions. Meanwhile, traditional brokers are left staring at their Bloomberg terminals wondering if they should've bought that Bored Ape after all.

One cynic's take: Nothing solves regulatory scrutiny like doubling down on crypto during a bear market. Bravo.

Robinhood Finalizes Bitstamp Acquisition, Gains 50+ Global Licenses

In tandem, Robinhood finalized its acquisition of Bitstamp, a global crypto exchange operator with more than 50 licenses and registrations worldwide.

The MOVE enhances Robinhood’s regulatory footprint and opens the door to enterprise-grade offerings, including lending, staking, and tools tailored for institutional clients such as hedge funds and fintech firms.

This expansion comes amid renewed market Optimism for crypto, boosted in part by more favorable signals from U.S. regulators and support from figures in the Trump camp.

The bullish environment has added momentum to HOOD’s recent performance.

Despite the stock’s rally, trading around $95, some analysts caution that Robinhood’s valuation remains steep.

The company’s price-to-sales ratio stands at 24.1, compared to 3.1 for the S&P 500. Its price-to-earnings ratio is 49.5, far above the benchmark’s 26.9.

Still, Robinhood’s fundamentals show significant growth. Over the last 12 months, revenue surged nearly 60% to $3.3 billion, and quarterly revenues ROSE 50% year-on-year.

Profitability is also strong, with a net income margin of 48.8% and operating income of $1.3 billion, reflecting a 39% margin, well above industry norms.

While expensive, Robinhood’s aggressive growth strategy and high margins may appeal to investors bullish on tokenized finance and institutional crypto adoption.

Robinhood Faces EU Scrutiny Over Controversial Tokenized Stock Launch

Meanwhile, Robinhood has come under regulatory fire in the EU after launching tokenized stock products linked to private companies like OpenAI and SpaceX.

The Bank of Lithuania confirmed it is investigating the legality and investor disclosures related to these blockchain-based “Stock Tokens,” which launched on June 30.

OpenAI publicly disavowed any connection, stating it never approved the tokens and warning investors to be cautious.

The controversy escalated when Elon Musk, reacting to OpenAI’s denial, labeled the firm’s equity “fake,” but did not directly address the SpaceX tokens.

Your “equity” is fake

Robinhood clarified that its tokens are not actual shares but price-tracking derivatives issued on Ethereum’s Arbitrum network, available only in the EU.

Despite lacking equity rights, Robinhood’s stock surged 13% after the launch before cooling off in early July.

Critics argue that Robinhood’s tokens are misleading, pointing out the lack of legal clarity and investor protections.

Legal experts warn that if launched in the US, the product WOULD likely face SEC action. They note the tokens offer no actual equity or governance rights, leaving investors with synthetic exposure and potential liquidity risks.