Bitstamp outpaces Robinhood just months after $200M buyout

Bitstamp has outpaced Robinhood in crypto trading less than three months after being acquired. Robinhood finalized its $200 million acquisition of Bitstamp on June 2, adding more than 5,000 institutional clients and 50,000 retail customers to its total base. 

Bitstamp recorded $14.4 billion in crypto trading volume in August, a 21% increase from July. The same period saw Robinhood’s crypto volumes drop 18% to $13.7 billion. Reports indicate that this volume had been trending down for Robinhood since November last year, when it registered a record quarter, but recovered in July 2025 before falling again in August.

Bitstamp, by comparison, has burgeoned since joining Robinhood in June. Analysts say the exchange’s stronger links to institutional clients, decades-long regulatory credentials in over 50 jurisdictions, and reputation as one of the world’s oldest crypto trading platforms make it an appealing spot for traders. This reversal stands out, as Bitstamp was picked precisely to enhance Robinhood’s crypto and international proposition. However, within months of the deal, it is already outdoing the parent company in the segment it was supposed to complement.

Acquisition boosts Bitstamp’s performance

Robinhood and Bitstamp deal intended to diversify Robinhood’s business beyond its app and extend its reach in markets regulated across Europe, the UK, the US, and Asia. 

Apart from introducing many institutional and retail clients to Robinhood’s platform, Bitstamp granted over 50 regulatory licenses worldwide. As earlier reported by Cryptopolitan, this placed Robinhood on an even firmer grip with financial regulators. Bitstamp is under Robinhood’s new name, Bitstamp by Robinhood, and is part of Robinhood Legend and the company’s Smart Exchange Routing (SER) system. This integration makes trading across two platforms more straightforward for customers. 

Furthermore, it positions Robinhood to drill deeper into the real-world asset (RWA) tokenization market. During its own crypto slowdown, Robinhood’s total assets were up in August. The company’s customer assets grew 2% to $304 billion, $41 billion of which was generated by crypto. Robinhood also boasts 26.7 million funded accounts for August, which reflects consistent customer growth with the firm. 

Only recently added to the S&P 500 index, Robinhood has established itself as a well-recognized financial player outside mainstream stock markets. Analysts say this milestone was hailed as a victory for the digital asset economy, adding that Robinhood’s inclusion in the index expands exposure to crypto-linked companies. 

Market stays flat, but optimism builds

The wider crypto market finished virtually flat in August as prices of larger assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum ended the month close to where they began. Ryan McMillin, chief executive of Australian crypto fund management firm Merkle Tree Capital, alluded to seasonal factors. 

Robinhood has a customer base oriented towards North America, and that group may have traded less during the summer holidays, he said. Analysts also called investors “wait-and-see” with emphasis on whether weakening US job and inflation information could lead to interest rate cuts.

Political strain has also been growing, with President Donald Trump advocating loose monetary policy and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell hesitating. Still, optimism remains. CK Zheng, CIO of ZX Squared Capital, thinks crypto could exceed record highs before the year’s end, bolstered by increased institutional uptake, crypto ETFs, and the increasing use of digital assets by treasury companies. 

Robinhood has also been experimenting with additional blockchain-style services. In July, it launched a layer two network focused on tokenization in the European Union. The transaction data on US stocks will be available to its EU customers. The company also introduced perpetual futures trading in the EU. All transactions are routed through Bitstamp. 

These changes imply a new strategy; Robinhood has introduced Bitstamp to finance its global crypto operations. The numbers indicate that Bitstamp is holding the torch for Robinhood’s crypto ambitions. And whether this transition is sustainable will hinge on market rebound, regulatory clarity, and Robinhood’s capacity to evolve without going off the rails or falling short of the law.

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