trading
Trading-focused blockchain Sei raises $30M, bringing valuation up to $800M
Sei, a layer-1 blockchain focused on trading, has raised $30 million, Jayendra Jog, co-founder of Sei Labs, exclusively told TechCrunch. A company spokesperson shared an $800 million valuation for the
eToro secures $250M at a $3.5B valuation after scrapping SPAC, seeing slower growth
After calling off its plans to go public via a SPAC at a $10.4 billion valuation in 2022, trading platform eToro has secured $250 million in funding at a $3.5 billion valuation. The money is not a typ
Tensor raises $3M for Solana-focused NFT trading platform
Tensor, a Solana-centric NFT trading platform, has raised $3 million in a seed round led by Placeholder, the team exclusively shared with TechCrunch. The startup was co-founded by Ilja Moisejevs and R
As natural gas prices soar, Bitpanda lets you trade commodities
European trading platform Bitpanda originally started as a cryptocurrency exchange. Over the past few years, it has expanded to other asset types, such as stocks, ETFs and precious metals. And now, us
BlackRock hops on bitcoin bandwagon with new Coinbase tie-up
After years of resisting, the world’s largest asset manager has finally taken the plunge into crypto in a substantial way. BlackRock, which oversees $10 trillion in assets, is partnering with pu
Robinhood lets users manage their own crypto wallets in push to spur trading
After a difficult first quarter, investing app Robinhood is doubling down on new product launches, particularly in its crypto unit, in hopes they will help buoy the business. CEO Vlad Tenev announced
Robinhood to let users lend out their shares in its attempt to diversify revenue
Trading platform Robinhood is launching a feature that will allow its users to lend out their stocks in hopes of earning passive, recurring income from borrowers, the company announced today. Robinhoo
BitMEX crypto exchange lays off a quarter of staff after failed acquisition
Derivatives-focused crypto exchange BitMEX has laid off about 75 employees, or a quarter of the company’s staff, days after its founders’ plans to acquire a German bank fell through. Staff
Robinhood’s stock pops 25% on news of extended trading hours
Robinhood, the popular investing app for consumers, announced on Tuesday it would extend its stock trading hours in the morning and in the evening as it works toward its goal of 24/7 investing. Previo
Cega raises $4.3M seed round at $60M valuation to build exotic DeFi derivatives
Decentralized finance (DeFi) is one of the hottest, fastest-growing areas within crypto. An estimated 4 million-plus people worldwide have invested in DeFi products, according to data from Dune Analyt
Shares raises $40 million for its social investment app
Shares has closed a $40 million Series A funding round led by Valar Ventures. The company has been working on a mobile app that lets you easily buy and sell shares, but with a social twist. You can fo
Lydia adds stock and crypto trading to its payment app
French startup Lydia is entering a whole new category by adding trading to its financial super app later this year. The company is partnering with Bitpanda for this feature. Lydia users will be able t
Lightyear is a new stock trading app from early Wise employees
Meet Lightyear, a new London-based startup coming out of stealth today. The company is building a stock trading app with a focus on creating a truly commission-free app. In addition to waving account
Berlin’s Trade Republic nabs $900M led by Sequoia at a $5B+ valuation to take its neobroker app across Europe
Consumers are moving into investing to complement — or in some cases, offset — less favorable returns from things like traditional savings accounts with low interest rates or pensions, and
Bux, a European Robinhood, raises $80M to expand its neobroker platform
A new wave of apps have democratized the concept of investing, bringing the ability to trade in stocks and currencies to a wider pool of users who can use these platforms to make incremental, or much
Coinbase’s monster Q1 in context
In the first quarter of 2021, American consumer cryptocurrency trading giant Coinbase grew sharply, generating strong profits at the same time. For Coinbase, the disclosure of its preliminary Q1 2021
As expected, stock trading service Public raises $220M at unicorn valuation
The day before Robinhood goes under the the Congressional hammer, domestic rival Public.com announced this morning that it has closed a $220 million funding round at a $1.2 billion valuation. News of
This Week in Apps: GameStop madness hits trading apps, Apple privacy changes, Clubhouse becomes a unicorn
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. The app industry continues to grow, with a
Robinhood and Reddit top the App Store, as trading apps surge following GameStop mania
The GameStop mania didn’t just drive up the stock price of a declining video game retailer, it’s also sent trading apps and others to the top of the App Store, due to record-breaking downl
Amidst Robinhood’s planned service changes, a tension between growth and safety
For a startup valued north of $8 billion, Robinhood's investors are betting that it will quickly scale as a business, something the famous unicorn appears to be doing in recent quarters and years.